The problem...According to the United Nations, the human population in the world will exceed 11 billion by the year 2100. This rising population coupled with environmental challenges is putting a tremendous strain on the Earth’s resources. We believe that emerging technologies can converge to unlock the next wave of innovation to solve some of these fundamental challenges facing our world today. Yet, even though emerging technologies like artificial intelligence impact every aspect of our lives, they are not a part of any K-12 curriculum.
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Connecting Communities of Technical Women of All Ages
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Computing Opportunities for Underserved Populations
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Lack of DiversityAs of September 2019, only 45% of US high schools offered computer science and schools that serve majority Black, Latino, Native American /Pacific islander students are less likely to offer computer science. You can find entire states in this country where not a single Black woman took either the AP Computer Science or P exam in 2020. Source
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In addition, girls and non-binary students often get discouraged from pursuing STEM disciplines due to gender bias, stereotypes, and unsupportive atmospheres in educational institutions and school clubs. Many young women tend to think of computing as a difficult, dull, or mechanical exercise and tend to be more inclined towards what they perceive as more creative fields like art, literature, and music. Due to these factors, many students are unaware of the creativity involved in STEM and how easily and effectively it can be applied to the fields of their choice to solve problems in their local communities. This lack of exposure to STEM is even more evident in minority groups or communities of color, that include Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians. Therefore, promoting diversity and inclusion becomes essential to the quest of developing these technologies using a humanistic framework and impacting the most underserved communities.
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Peer & Near-Peer Mentorship
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Computing Career Pathways
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Our RoleAISpectra is a national student-driven STEAM outreach program that works in partnership with various nonprofit and community organizations to bridge the gap between science and humanities and raise awareness of the interdisciplinary nature of technology by leveraging the participants’ specific interests in non-STEM fields. Our focus is on the ethical principles behind designing and implementing techonolgy solutions for the greater good of society and the transferability of technical skills to other disciplines so that students develop an awareness of the power of computing and tech as a viable career option.
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Challenges & Moments of Adversity
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