Stony Brook University is now a three time recipient of a $50,000 Innovation Generation grant from the Motorola Foundation. This grant has been funding the TechPREP Program since its inception in 2008. “Due to a nationwide shortage of technology workers, particularly women, there is a need to introduce young women to technology fields early in their education,” says Carrie-Ann Miller the Director of Stony Brook’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program and Co-Director of TechPREP.
TechPREP is a multi-track program targeting 6th-8th grade female students, parents and school administrators in high needs school districts on Long Island. This consortium of Stony Brook University programs including Connect to Tech, STEP and WISE, will deliver an integrated program encompassing mentoring, technology demonstrations, classroom instruction and overall awareness of engineering and computer technologies. The Science and Technology Entry Program, (STEP) offers enrichment programs to students from high needs school districts. Connect to Tech is run by Judy Murrah, Director of IT for Motorola Corporation in Holtsville. Connect to Tech has some of the largest high tech companies in the world as partners including Motorola. Connect to Tech and its corporate partners sponsor an annual career fair and frequently visit Long Island schools to promote technology and engineering careers in both student and parent forums.
Techprep continues to enhance its collaborations as well as its outreach base. In addition to the original team of collaborators, TechPREP’s collaborations have expanded to the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers.
In 2011 TechPREP will realize its goal of having 3 cohorts at once. We will have our original group doing the final module of the program, Engineering, our second cohort will do the second module, Math and Physics, and we are currently recruiting a third cohort to take part in the first module, Computer Science. Read more...