Today the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, celebrates its annual Girls in ICT Day that aims to “empower and encourage girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of ICTs”.
The goal of this day is to “make girls and young women aware of the vast possibilities offered by ICTs and give them the confidence to pursue ICT studies and careers…[and] to raise awareness among parents, teachers and others influences in girls’ lives.”
Over 111,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 3,500 events held in 140 countries around the world in honor of Girls in ICT Day.
Creating awareness and opening doors for females of all ages to enter the IT sector is a key focus of Symantec’s philanthropic efforts. We partner with leading non-profits and industry organizations around the world that enable us to join cutting-edge STEM programs by providing much needed funding, expertise, products and exposure to our own inspiring female professionals in the sector.
Today we celebrate this holiday by highlighting Symantec’s partnerships to promote girls in STEM:
World Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts (WAGGS)
In 2011, WAGGGS partnered with Symantec to educate children and young people about online safety. WAGGGS and Symantec developed a curriculum—called Surf Smart—that helps children and young people identify online risks, protect themselves and others, and address online incidents. In 2011–2012, the curriculum was piloted in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
An FY14 grant from the Symantec Foundation enabled Surf Smart to be delivered in Africa by training African facilitators and peer educators to deliver it in their home countries. By mid-2014, these facilitators and educators had disseminated their learning to more than 57,000 girls and young women in 13 countries across the continent, including Nigeria, South Africa, Burundi, and Lesotho.
Girls Achieving in Non-Traditional Subjects (GAINS)
GAINS started in 2000 at Santa Clara High School in California with a handful of girls that met at lunch to talk about future career and education opportunities. It developed into a formal program that encourages and inspires young women to explore STEM and other non-traditional career options. The GAINS program currently serves 350 students of varying ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds that have shown an interest in STEM and business.
Young women who participate in the program reap numerous benefits such as creating a social network of like-minded women, exposure to and insights into STEM career opportunities, visits to colleges and access to application support, and more.
Furthermore, through an exciting social network, students have the opportunity to hear from and talk with professional women currently working in these fields. Every month, GAINS girls can learn from inspiring professional women and can ask them questions about their career paths.
Each year Symantec sponsors 4-5 scholarships for GAINS students going into STEM careers. Additionally, on April 27th, Symantec is speaking at the GAINS end of the year celebration where hundreds of people will be in attendance to celebrate seniors who have completed the GAINS program and those receiving scholarships.
Techbridge, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring underrepresented girls in science, technology, and engineering, has worked with over 4,000 girls in grades 5-12 through its after-school and summer programs in the San Francisco Bay area. From tackling the challenge of designing a prosthetic hand for the disabled, building a customized gumball machine or learning the fundamentals of chemical engineering by mixing their own lip balm, Techbridge curriculum brings STEM alive for girls through projects with real-world applications.
Symantec will host middle and high school students at our Mountain View campus this spring to learn more about the IT field first-hand from our employees. Over the years, students have participated in hands-on stations taking apart servers, constructing electromagnetic motors, and exploring the world of malware, as well as having the opportunity to interact with Symantec leaders and hear stories of their determination, passion, and teamwork.
Additionally, each year as part of Silicon Valley Gives Day, for 24 hours Symantec matches donations up to $10,000 for the non-profit. Stay tuned for more information on how to participate as we near Silicon Valley Gives day on Tuesday May 5th!
Symantec employees volunteer at a Techbridge Girls after school program in San Jose, CA.
For the past four years, Symantec has sponsored the Dare2BDigital conference – which aims to provide 7th-10th graders the opportunity to discover the creative and exciting careers that await them in computer science and engineering.
Last year, Symantec created and hosted a student workshop called Catch the Phish and Digital Drama that used games, videos and group discussions, to teach girls how to avoid common Internet problems. Girls collaborated to spot treacherous e-mail scams known as phishing attacks. Using clips from teen-discussion groups and television, the girls discussed the concept of "digital drama" and the role gender can play in their online activities.