New Program Recruits African-American Girls to Computer Science
The computing workforce continues to grow, but women of color remain largely underrepresented. Tuskegee University recently announced a $1.3 million grant program funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to prepare African-American girls in Alabama for careers in computer science.
The program is called Black Girls from Alabama for Computing. It is a collaboration between Tuskegee, the University of Alabama and Oakland University. The project is open to African-American high school girls who enroll in AP Computer Science. The bulk of it takes place during the summer, when students will split time between the University of Alabama and Tuskegee University. They will learn about careers in computing and prepare for AP computer science.
African-American women make up about 3% of the nation’s computing workforce. Mohammed Qazi, a professor at Tuskegee who helps lead the new project, says diversity is important. “It’s all about diversity of thought,” he says, “bringing different perspectives when one is solving a problem.” Qazi says there is a tremendous need for computer scientists in the U.S. He hopes to create a pipeline to recruit more minority girls to the field. The National Science Foundation will fund the program for three years.
Kate Hudson on regret, rom-coms and finding a role that hits all the notes
Hudson always wanted to sing, but feared it would derail her acting career. Now she's up for an Oscar for her portrayal of a hairdresser who performs in a Neil Diamond tribute band in Song Sung Blue.
A powerful winter storm is roiling travel across the northeastern U.S.
Forecasters called travel conditions "extremely treacherous" and "nearly impossible" in areas hit hardest by the storm, and air and train traffic is at a standstill in many parts of the region.
U.K. arrests ex-ambassador to the U.S. on suspicion of misconduct over Epstein ties
Police have arrested Peter Mandelson, a veteran Labour Party politician who served as British ambassador to the U.S., as part of an investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
What NPR reporters will remember most about these Winter Olympics
NPR's reporters on the ground in Italy reflect on a far-flung, jam-packed Winter Olympics.
In the shadow of the Olympics, migrants search for a welcome in Milan
As Italy cracks down on migration, Milan takes a different path — offering shelter and integration to asylum seekers even as the central government tightens borders and funds deterrence abroad.
Trump to raise global tariffs. And, most say the state of the union is weak, poll says
President Trump says he is raising global tariffs to 15%. And ahead of the president's address tomorrow, most Americans say the state of the union is not strong, according to an NPR poll.
