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Technology Academy for Area Middle School Girls at QCC

Contact: Cherie Ronayne
Office of Institutional Communications
508.854.2849
cronayne [at] qcc.mass.edu

Release Date: 
7/5/2007

WORCESTER, MA – The business and technology departments of Quinsigamond Community College announced the start of its 2007 Technology Academy for Girls program, on Monday, July 2.

When girls reach the middle school age, they are less likely to choose elective courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – referred to as STEM courses.  Fewer will then consider pursuing a STEM career.1.2.  Quinsigamond’s TAG is a two-week technology-intensive academy for middle school girls ages 10-14.  QCC is hosting 29 girls who attend Worcester’s Sullivan Middle School and the Accelerated Learning Lab school.  The program is funded through a grant from the Fred Harris Daniels Foundation. The program encourages girls to continue courses and pursue their interests in STEM fields, and they will also study profiles of successful women in technology.

The group’s main project is a hands-on activity in which they build a working computer from individual components, while learning about hardware, operating systems, applications, programming, and web pages.  Students can take the computer home at the end of the course.

Betty Lauer, Associate Professor of Computer Systems Engineering and the TAG coordinator added, “We have also designed the curriculum such that they’ll spend some of their summer in class and attend some follow-up activities in the fall.”

Quinsigamond Community College has been delivering technology-based educational programs for middle and high school girls for six years through their Women in Technology programs.  The two-week TAG program will culminate in an open house on Friday, July 13 at 12 p.m.

 

Quinsigamond Community College is the most affordable higher education in Worcester County. As a regional leader in education and workforce development, QCC serves the diverse educational needs of Central Massachusetts by providing affordable, accessible, and high quality programming leading to transfer, career, and lifelong learning.