National Center for Women & Information Technology awarded $4.1M

BOULDER — The National Center for Women & Information Technology has received a $4.1 million grant from the Cognizant U.S. Foundation.

Cognizant is a nonprofit focused on supporting STEM education and initiatives for workers and students. The grant will fund digital skills education programs and an awareness campaign to increase interest among women of all ages pursuing careers in technology.

NCWIT will use the funds to establish new specialized coding skills camps for girls and women, as well as training opportunities for professional school counselors. The plan is to focus on communities historically lacking computer education resources and technology workforces. NCWIT said it will focus on the south/ southeastern U.S. first to launch programs where it and Cognizant have training partners, access to interested students and employment opportunities.

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By the end of 2019 the new programs are expected to directly benefit 2,243 girls and women. By 2021, the training network is expected to influence career opportunities for 13,000 people.
“As of 2017, women held only 26 percent of professional computing occupations in the United States,” Lucy Sanders, CEO and co-founder of NCWIT, said in a prepared statement. “To close this gap and fill an estimated 3.5 million computing-related job openings expected by 2026, we must make computing education accessible to all and attract diverse talent to the discipline. In doing so, a vast population with growing needs for technological products and services will be more equally represented in the innovation process.”

She added that the Cognizant support will help increase the participation of women in computing and create sustained change at the local level.

“We recognize diversity overall as a crucial competitive advantage in business today,” D.K. Sinha, president of the Cognizant U.S. Foundation, said in a statement. “Just as vital to the
health and competitiveness of our nation’s businesses is ensuring that American workers of all
orientations are prepared to capitalize on career opportunities in the digital economy. The work being done through NCWIT is having a meaningful impact on the way women view potential careers in the technology industry and their preparedness, and we are proud to be supporting NCWIT in advancing their mission.”