To help support women in software and web development career paths, Wide Open Tech provided a scholarship to a student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for digital profiles in fields such as engineering and information and communications technology (ICT). Despite this increase in demand, women are still underrepresented in these fields. In the last year alone, the demand for digital profiles rose by nearly 40%. This trend is likely to continue as more and more businesses move online. While women have made significant strides in closing the gender gap in many professions, their is still a significant need for more innovative women to jump into technology professions.
To help encourage more women getting into technology fields such as software, web, and mobile app development, Wide Open Tech teamed up with Carolinas Women in Computing by offering a scholarship to a female student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to support her journey through the computer science program.
The goal of Carolinas Women In Computing is to encourage the participation of women in computing by providing professional and social support. The organization held a conference and career fair at UNCW during mid-April, where the scholarship candidate was announced. The conference featured talks and panels by highly successful technical women. Undergraduate and graduate students were invited to participate through poster presentations, lightning talks or focused panels. Perhaps, more importantly, it was an opportunity to network with successful technical women from academia, government, industry, and fellow students.
While the history of computing is often seen as a male-dominated field, there have been many women who have made significant contributions to the world of programming. Grace Hopper, Ada Lovelace, and Kimberly Bryant (Founder of Black Girls Code) are just a few of the women who have helped to shape the field of computer science and engineering. Wide Open Tech is excited to help promote women in technology fields, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for tech innovation by our women in tech!
