GGC Awarded Grant to Support Female Students Interested in Technology

Georgia Gwinnett College has been awarded a seed grant to enhance the educational experience of women interested in technology. 

The $1,000 seed grant is provided through the National Center for Women & Information Technology, and it will be used to develop a “Women in IT” learning community at the college, college officials said in a press release.

The main goal of the new learning community is to inform women about opportunities in information technology and to support female students interested in the field.

From 2008 to 2012, just 13 percent to 16 percent of the college's information technology majors were women, college officials said.

With the new learning community, officials hope to change that.

"This data indicates a need to implement a solution encouraging women to pursue careers in the IT field, where there are growing employment opportunities and where women are underrepresented," said Kristine Nagel, associate vice president for Educational Technology Development and Evaluation.

The new learning community is expected to start in the fall.

In addition to the National Center for Women & Information Technology, Symantec and Academic Alliance also were involved in the school obtaining the seed grant for the new initiative.