Wordless Wednesday: Blacks @ Microsoft Honor 'Excellence in Education'

Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Seeks Applications for $5,000 College Scholarship

It’s our pleasure to announce the availability of the Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) scholarship for the 2011/12 academic year.  

This year, BAM will award two $5,000 scholarships to outstanding high-school seniors, who are interested in pursuing careers in technology. The scholarships are renewable, so winners who continue to meet the criteria can receive an annual $5,000 award for up to four years.  We encourage you to please share this opportunity with your network.

Scholarship Details

• Support Period - Academic Year 2011 - 2012
• Application Due - 05/01/2011
• Anticipated Award Notification - 05/31/2011
• Awards - 2 scholarships will be awarded ($5,000 per person)
• Application Method - Apply electronically via the Washington Scholarship Coaltion
• Renewable - Yes. This scholarship is renewable for up to a total of 4 years, provided the student continues to meet the scholarship criteria of a 3.3 GPA each year.

 Eligibility Requirements

• High School Senior
•  Situations Funded - Support for Tuition, Support for Mandatory Fees, Support for Room and Board
•  School Types - Private 4-year University or College, Public 4-year University or College, Public 2-year Community / Technical College
• Academic Programs - Undergraduate
•  Enrollment Status - Full-time
•  Ethnicity - Black or African American
• Field of Study - Business, Computer Science/Information Technology, Science & Engineering
• Career - Business, Computer Science/Information Technology, Engineering
• GPA - 3.300 or Greater

Application Details

Financial Requirements

• Must demonstrate financial need, Number of family members in household, Number of family dependents attending college, Family income

Instructions & Questions

• Briefly, explain how you have demonstrated a passion for technology.
• Briefly, explain how you have demonstrated leadership either at school or in the community.
• In no more than 500 words, describe how you plan to engage in the technology industry in your future career.
• In no more than 250 words, explain why you need this scholarship.
• Please include two reference letters with your application. These letters should be from people who know you through your academic or employment experience or your community leadership and participation. (Do not include relatives as references.)
• Please submit an unofficial transcript with your online application. Winning students will be required to submit an official transcript.

Donor Organization

Founded in 1989, Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) is a company-sponsored diversity organization dedicated to supporting the continued growth and development of African-American employees of Microsoft Corporation.  More than 500 Microsoft employees are members of BAM.

Scholarship Administrator

The Seattle Foundation

1200 5th Ave. Suite 1300
Seattle, WA 98101-3151

206-515-2115

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This is a wonderful opportunity for those high school seniors that are participating in BDPA youth education programs all over the nation.   BDPA has worked with over 250 students in our Saturday computer camp sessions so far this calendar year ... how cool would it be for one of those students to win this $5,000 scholarship from Microsoft?!

Blacks At Microsoft: Minority Student Day (Charlotte)

Over 130 High School & College Students throughout the North Carolina region attended the 20th annual Minority Student Day hosted in Charlotte, NC by Blacks @ Microsoft (BAM). A number of BDPA Charlotte chapter members were in attendance, including the chapter president Julius Clark and chapter president-elect Markus Beamer.

BDPA & BAM Leaders

BDPA Charlotte member John Hoffler conducted a workshop introducing the BDPA High School Computer Competition for the young people in attendance. Also, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) executive director Wayne Hicks was honored for the leadership and excellence of his professional organization in the field of education.

Here is media coverage of Minority Student Day from local TV News Carolina 14 & Fox Charlotte News.








Minority Student Day was fully supported by the Microsoft executives in North Carolina. I encourage BDPA leaders from around the nation to find ways to connect with BAM to participate in this event next year! Minority Student Day is a wonderful way to create awareness about BDPA programs and impact on influencers in the field of education and technology.


BETF would like to thank BAM North Carolina co-chairs Kevin Robinson and Iona Wilson for their hospitality and vision. They are truly examples of why Microsoft is an Industry Leader in Technology, Diversity, Innovation and Corporate Citizenship.

BETF Executive Director Wins BAM Award for Excellence in Education and Technology in North Carolina

I was surprised and honored to receive the following notice from the Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) folks down in North Carolina.

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You have been selected to receive the BAM Award for Excellence in Education & Technology, in celebration of our 20 Year Anniversary & BAM Minority Student Day (BMSD), which will be held February 11, 2010 at our Microsoft Charlotte Campus. Following the awards presentation, we invite you have lunch with our High School students from 12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM.

This Award recognizes four national and community leaders including yourself that have made significant contributions in the field of Education or Technology. Honorees include the following:

1. Dr. Ronald Carter, President, Johnson C. Smith University
2. Dr. Peter Gorman, Superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System
3. Wayne Hicks, Executive Director,  BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF)
4. Johnny Taylor, President/CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund & Ebony Power 100 Leaders in America for Academia

BMSD is a Microsoft signature program that give’s high school students the opportunity to learn about careers in technology, listen to executive speakers, connect with Microsoft employees, participate in hands-on computer demonstrations, cutting edge technologies, and learn about High School Internships and College Scholarships. The ultimate purpose of the event is to expose students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to the exciting opportunities in the field of technology.

We anticipate 150+ High School students in attendance throughout the Carolinas Region, including media coverage.  As part of this event, we are also inviting students pursuing STEM careers from Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), Johnson C. Smith University, and UNC Charlotte as participants.

One of our key highlights will be showing CPCC/UNC Charlotte as our Gaming & Simulation Division Winners of our Microsoft 2010 US Imagine Cup student competition. Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition hosted by Microsoft. Open to high school, college, and university students across the globe. Prior BMSD speakers have included: Bill Gates, Microsoft Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft; and Mike Rucker, Retired NFL Carolina Panther & Pre-game Commentator as examples.

Microsoft Charlotte is one of 4 large field campuses outside of our Redmond, Washington headquarters. Most of our 1,250 employees who live and work in North Carolina support Fortune 500 and other enterprise customers and partners to provide sales, consulting, and support services for many of our Flagship Products and Developer Technologies. We work with more than 2,665 partner companies that build technology tools and services on the Microsoft platform, creating jobs and revenue in North Carolina. Since 2003, we have given and matched employee gifts totaling more than $62.5 million in cash, curriculum, software and volunteer hours in North Carolina.

We are pleased to announce that North Carolina is the first state in the nation to adopt a Microsoft IT Academy in all 628 NC High Schools. The program will give students the opportunity to learn in-demand software and technical skills as well as earn industry-recognized certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) or a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).

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I am humbled by this honor. I look forward to visiting with BDPA supporters in Charlotte for the BAM Minority Student Day in February 2011.