TWICE PROGRESS REPORT - AU05/SU06

PARTICIPANTS - From September 2005 thru August 2006, TWiCE supported ten women undergrad and one woman graduate student from several computing majors served by the CSE department, including CIS, CSE, and ECE.

ASSIGNMENTS - Five women worked on the Computer Club for Girls (aka Girls Tech Corps), one woman worked for TechCorps Ohio, one woman worked for the University Area Enrichment Association and TechCorps Ohio, one woman volunteered at Columbus School for Girls, one woman worked on recruiting materials, and two women worked on the Janes Domaze research project.

OTHER ACTIVITIES/ACCOMPLISHMENTS - Four students were interviewed for an NPR story on Gidget, and one student sat on a panel discussion about women in engineering for the GenderChip film screening. Two women attended the SIGCSE conference. Two members of TWiCE attended Google's Women in Engineering Event. One TWiCE member was selected for Honorable Mention as a CRA Outstanding Undergraduate.

HOURS - Each woman contributed according to her availability, ranging from 2 to 20 hours a month.

VALUE ADDED - The primarily goal of TWiCE, to retain women in computing, has been 100% satisfied since its inception in AU03. The participants also offered these comments regarding high points, or particular points of pride from their experience in the program.

"It's difficult for me to take pride in my work, but working with young people is always undeniably rewarding. It's interesting, because I assumed I had left that behind when I switched to CSE. It's nice to see community involvement in a field that is routinely misperceived as overly technical and impersonal."

"I really enjoy working with the girls and when I feel that they have learned something new on a particular day as a result of my help, I am proud."

"I have made friends with a few of the girls."

"Continuing to get to know the girls better."

"There were a few times when it seemed like some of the girls were really interested in what they were learning about, and I was proud that I could help them learn more."

"A touch of self-esteem."

"The feeling that I'm helping young girls become more familiar with computers and the types of people who enter into technical fields of study (especially women"

"Knowing that I have done something to help the girls' futures."

"Seeing the girls' improvement with the computers, including them remembering things from previous weeks."

"It was nice to be around other female technology students."

"The best feeling was coming into class one day and having one of the girls walk up and put her arm around me and was like hey you haven't been here in awhile. The last time I was there was a month before but she still remember me and stuff."