This blog post was written by Marijke Visser, Senior Policy Advocate in the ALA Washington Office.
Library staff are some of the strongest advocates for teens. The encouragement and support library staff provides helps inspire youth to pursue new opportunities and undiscovered talents. This includes preparing teens for discovering college and career pathways. The ALA Libraries Ready to Code initiative and NCWIT AspireIT are joining forces again in 2019 in a project that will directly increase the meaningful participation of girls and women in computing. We are building on what we’ve learned through our pilot working with local libraries to build capacity for youth programs
The National Center for Women & Information Technology Aspirations in Computing (AiC) programs were designed to support young women in computing by providing recognition, encouragement, job opportunities, scholarships, and connections to the tech community. Over 12,000 women in 9th -12th grade have been recognized, through this program for their aspirations and passion in computing. Through this work NCWIT built a supportive network in each of its 79 regional affiliates. This network includes parents, industry professionals, community leaders, library staff, and educators all working together to increase the meaningful participation of women in computing and technology within their community.
To help further facilitate this endeavor NCWIT and ALA created a “Community Champion” Learning Series for library staff! Learn more and join us in this work.
