Calvin Camp Aims to Encourage Women Computer Scientists

July 19, 2004 == MEDIA ADVISORY

This week 24 junior high school girls from across West Michigan will complete
an eight-day computer science camp at Calvin College on creating virtual
worlds.

And, hopes Calvin professor Joel Adams, through the camp the girls have
learned that computers aren't the alien world they may have thought.

"I know," says Adams, "that we're teaching the girls a lot about computer
programming. But just as important is this idea of getting the girls more
comfortable with technology now so that as they get older it's not such a
foreign thing."

Adams notes that research shows that if students are not reached prior to high
school, it's too late. That's why, he adds, that nationwide only about 15% of
college computer science majors are women. That number, he says, needs to
change.

"There's a whole untapped pool of talent out there," he says, "people who
could be solving problems. Beyond that the industry is letting one gender
dictate the whole experience to everybody."

That's one of the reasons Calvin held a virtual worlds camp for boys earlier
this month and now is having a separate camp for girls.

The 24 girls began the camp last week Monday and will conclude on Thursday,
July 22 with demonstrations of their virtual worlds. Those demos will take
place from 9:45 am to approximately 11:30 am in the Bytwerk Video Theater at
Calvin (located in the lower level of the DeVos Communication Center).

On Tuesday, July 20 and Wednesday, July 21 the students will work in the
computer lab at Calvin, polishing their presentations. They are in the lab,
located on the third floor of the Science Building at Calvin, each day from
10-11:30 am and 12:45-2:20 pm.

Contact Joel Adams at 616-526-8562

-end-
Received on Mon Jul 19 13:03:52 2004