Salary Gains for STEM Students of Color

BDPA strives to encourage our student members to go to college and major in STEM fields. Our efforts should be re-doubled as we learn that college students of color who major in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – earn 25 percent more than do minority students who study humanities or education, according to a study in the new issue of Research in Higher Education (abstract available here). Further, those minority students who ended up in jobs related to their STEM degrees earned at least 50 percent more than fellow students who majored in the humanities or education. The students in the study were not a random sample, but more than 1,000 Asian and Pacific Islander, Latino and black students who were scholarship applicants for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.

"The premiums for majoring in STEM fields are huge," said Tatiana Melguizo, lead author of the study and associate professor of education at the University of Southern California. "We need to educate students that if they get a job in a STEM-related occupation, they have an even higher earning premium. Otherwise, students aren’t reaping the economic benefit of all the hard work they went through as undergrads."

Cisco Impact Cash Grant Program

Cisco Impact cash grants go to carefully selected community organizations -- non-profit and non-government agencies -- that align strongly with their investment areas, grantmaking criteria, and policies.

Cisco Foundation focuses their grant-making activities on three issue areas: addressing basic human needs, improving access to education, and increasing individual economic opportunity. In order to maximize the collaborative impact of their investments, we partner with community organizations that leverage the Internet and communications technology to improve the efficiency and reach of their services.

Cisco Impact cash grants are made by Cisco and the Cisco Foundation at three levels:

1. Global Impact Grants - They are now accepting unsolicited applications for Global Impact Grants. Grants are awarded by the Cisco Public Benefit Investment (PBI) group to both US-based and non-US based organizations, with national or multinational operations. Grants are awarded on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
2. Regional Impact Grants - Grants are awarded by one of Cisco's 32 global Civic Councils or in conjunction with local teams or individual requests. Grants are awarded on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Regional Impact Grants currently are not open to unsolicited applications.
3. Silicon Valley Impact Grants - Grants are awarded to organizations based within a 50-mile radius of Cisco's corporate headquarters in San Jose, California, and providing services in the Bay Area.

Let us know if you want to pursue a grant proposal with Cisco Foundation.

BDPA Los Angeles Announces Its 2012 National High School Computer Competition Team

L-R: Temitope Sonuyi (trainer), Pooja Chebolu, John Isaacs, Akindele Davies, Austin DeYoung, Trayer Harvey, John Malonson III (chapter president)

BDPA Los Angeles proudly announced the members of its team that will be representing the chapter and the city in the 2012 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship to be held in Baltimore later this year. The 2012 national HSCC team is:

1. Pooja Chebolu, 10th grade, California Academy of Mathematics and Science
2. Akindele Davies, 11th grade, California Academy of Mathematics and Science
3. Austin DeYoung, 11th grade, California Academy of Mathematics and Science
4. Trayer Harvey, 11th grade, California Academy of Mathematics and Science
5. John Isaacs, 12th grade, St. Bernard High School

BDPA Los Angeles chapter completed a remarkable Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program that included a computer camp with 26 students from 7th grade to 12th grade. The students learned HTML, CSS, jQuery, PHP, and MySQL. The class was taught by Temitope Sonuyi and John Malonson III on the Cal-State Dominguez Hills campus. Eight of the students did enough to earn college credit.

BDPA Los Angeles chapter has high expectations for this year's team and looks forward to them bringing home the gold medal from the national championship! Many thanks to the parents, students and volunteer staff that helped to make this a memorable year for our west coast BDPA chapter.

BDPA iRadio Show: June 26, 2012

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. Our Internet Radio Show has been up and running for nine months with over 80 guests. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

Episodes of the BDPA iRadio Show are now available for immediate and FREE download from the iTunes Store.

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

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The guests on the June 26th show:

Monique Berry - President, National BDPA - Monique has a powerful BDPA legacy. Her chapter won chapter-of-the-year honors during both of the years that she was a chapter president. She currently serves as our national president. She is our leader and she has a vibrant vision for where she would like to take BDPA in 2012-2013 when she becomes national president.  Her twitter handle is @Monique_Berry

Wilson Toussaint - President & CEO, Erin Gerald Affiliates - Wilson is the president and CEO of Erin Gerald Affiliates (EGA). EGA is a BDPA corporate supporter and a growing small business located in the greater Philadelphia area. Wilson feels that BDPA has a compelling, education-based social mission that has helped many students, professionals and entrepreneurs.  His twitter handle is @wtoussaint

Khalia Braswell - HSCC Alumni, 2007 BDPA Charlotte - Khalia competed in the 2007 national BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship as a member of the team trained by BDPA Charlotte chapter. Her team finished in 6th place. Khalia earned a Eli Lilly Scholarship for BDPA Students in 2008. She used that scholarship to help offset the costs for college studies at North Carolina State University. She plans to graduate with a Computer Science degree in 2013. She can share some excellent insights in the impact that BDPA had on her college and career choices. My understanding is that Khalia recently decided that she wants to pursue a Ph.D. before she’s done!  Her twitter handle is @DJCEO3SIX5

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We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Cracker Barrel Foundation

The Cracker Barrel Foundation seeks to strengthen and preserve their community by supporting programs in the areas of education, human services, cultural affairs and the environment. Special consideration is given to programs that address children, youth and family issues, and emphasize traditional values such as hard work, education and self-reliance.

Proposals are accepted and reviewed throughout the year. Decisions are made quarterly. It is recommended that you wait twelve months between submitting proposals for funding, regardless of their approval status. Unfortunately, they are unable to fund every quality program or organization for which they receive requests. Please understand that this is a reflection of limited available resources, and not upon the worthiness of the organization.

HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING
Cracker Barrel Foundation uses no standard application form. It is requested that proposals be concise and include the following:

Please note: Organizations must have a mailing address from a city where a Cracker Barrel is located.

• Name, address and description of organization
• Past accomplishments of the organization
• Objectives of organization and specific project for which funding is requested, if applicable
• Geographic area served by organization
• History of previous support from Cracker Barrel Foundation
• Exact dollar amount of request
• Plan for evaluating results of project
• What percentage of total budget is the request?

 Attachment should include:

• IRS letter of determination of section 501(c)(3) tax exemption status
• Latest income and expense statement
• Names and affiliations of those serving on your board of directors
• Names and qualifications of employees, as well as numbers of volunteers
• Other sources of income and amount contributed by each
• Other organizations you are approaching for funding
• A few current, relevant articles or reviews about the organization, if available

Proposals should be sent to:

Cracker Barrel Foundation

Penny Carroll, Director

P.O. Box 787

Lebanon, Tennessee 37088-0787

Telephone Number: (615) 444-5533

Fax Number: (615) 443-9874

E-Mail: pcarroll@crackerbarrel.com

BDPA Atlanta HSCC Alum Sunheng Taing Applies Jesse Bemley Scholarship Towards Computer Science Degree at University of Georgia

Sunheng Taing was a member of the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Atlanta chapter to compete in the 2011 National BDPA HSCC championship held in Chicago, IL. He graduated from Berkmar High School earlier this year and is now enrolled at the University of Georgia (Class of 2016).

He shared his thoughts about the BDPA experience with us in the following testimonial:

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Meeting new people that share the same enthusiasm for learning as you is hard to find. Luckily, I found a place where I can meet those people. That place is BDPA. I have not heard of BDPA until my junior year of High School. Not knowing much about the program, I ventured out with my parents and drove forty minutes to the meeting. Once there, it was more than I expected. The people were welcoming and what they taught me will last a life time.

The main instructor, Wes Williams, we call him “Coach Wes,” explained the goal and view of BDPA. He may be strict at times but he is always right. There were tons of people who have the same enthusiasm as I during the 2011 BDPA HSCC championship. All of us wanted to prove what we learned, and to do their best. In the competition room, there were tensions among teams during the questions as well as the coding part of the competition. My teammates and I were prepared for this day for more than half a year. We all know that it is very nerve wrecking, we kept each other calm. From questions to presenting the web application, I gave it all I had. The result was nothing less than I hoped for.

Some sacrifices had to be made before I could follow the path of computer science. The long hour drive back and forth every Saturday was very discouraging. However, I believe that if you try hard enough, there’s going to be a reward at the end. My experience with BDPA had taught me to not only program but to become a different person.

BDPA taught me responsibility and the value of hard work. These things will be carried with me for the rest of my life. I have acquired some work experience when joining the BDPA Atlanta Chapter. I had to opportunity to intern at Impact Church. During my internship, I created a web application for the community that allows members to interact in connection groups. This experience helped me develop my own skills as well as social interactions among other people.

My career goal is to excel in the development of technology as well as to grow in leadership and knowledge that will provide solutions to world problems. I intend to major in the Computer Science at the University of Georgia.

I would like to thank BDPA with all my heart for the experience and opportunity that I had.

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BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud of Sunheng and his teammates within the BDPA Atlanta chapter. We plan to follow him through his college career and beyond. Sunheng is the embodiment of our 'classroom to the boardroom' motto!

Where Are They Now? Floppy Disks

It occurred to me as I prepared this blog post that I still have a bunch of floppy disks in my office. I don't have a computer that will read them. I don't have a clue what's on them. I 'spose that I should simply throw them away. Do you have any floppy disks in your room?

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What they were: A form of removable storage, in 3.5-, 5.25- and 8-inch variants, that started in the 1970s as a high-end alternative to saving programs on audio cassettes, then segued into serving as a handy complement to hard drives.

What happened: Until the mid-1990s, floppies remained essential. But then the Internet came along and provided folks with file downloads and attachments -- faster ways to accomplish tasks that had long been the floppy disk’s domain, without floppies’ 1.44MB capacity limitation. (Higher-capacity floppies arrived at about the same time, but never caught on.) Much higher-capacity storage media like Zip disks and recordable DVDs nudged floppies further towards irrelevancy. And USB drives -- which provide a gigabyte or more of storage for less than what I paid for one 72KB floppy in the 1970s -- finished the job.

Current whereabouts: Floppy drives are no longer standard equipment, but they certainly haven’t vanished -- in fact, you may have a computer or two around the house that sports one. New 3.5-inch drives and media remain readily available, and you might be able to find 5.25-inch ones if you hunt a bit. (8-inch floppies I can’t help you with.) Which leaves only one question: Under what circumstances would you opt for floppies over something like a $10 (or so) 4GB USB drive that holds 2750 times as much data?

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SOURCE: 'Where Are They Now? 25 Computer Products That Refuse to Die' by Harry McCracken.

President Profile: Kendall Norris (BDPA Middle Tennessee)

BDPA Middle Tennessee chapter was chartered in August 2005. The chapter has been financially supported by Deloitte over the past seven years. In fact, all three of the chapter presidents in the chapter's history were employed by Deloitte. The most accomplished BDPA Middle Tennessee chapter member is Deloitte global chief information officer Larry Quinlan who serves as a board member for the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).

The chapter believes that we need to 'win the future' by providing focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) training and experiences for K-12 students in the greater Nashville area. The chapter has competed in the past four national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships ... with top chapter results coming in 2010 and 2011.

Valerie Hayes (2005-2008) was the chapter founder and its first president. Tinita Haley (2009-2010) was the second chapter president. The current president, Kendall Norris, is the third in chapter history.


Kendall Norris, President
BDPA Middle Tennessee Chapter

Address: PO Box 7646
Baltimore, MD 21207
(443) 928-0182

In September 2010, Kendall joined Deloitte as the U.S. Leader accountable for the successful delivery of information technology projects in support of Deloitte’s core businesses (Audit, Consulting, Financial Advisory and Tax services) and the Chief Technology Office. As the leader of the Project Management Center of Excellence, he leads teams of project management professionals in the U.S. and India, and adds value to the organization by continually improving service delivery on U.S. and global enterprise applications development and infrastructure programs.

In addition to program management, Kendall’s background includes 20+ years serving in leadership positions responsible for sales growth of various enterprise technology solutions, operations management, organizational transformations, systems integrations, and leading international consulting and technical teams. His operational and professional services expertise was developed across multiple industries that include telecommunications, manufacturing, financial services, airline, and state government, at global corporations such as; TRW, EDS, HP and American Airlines.

Kendall’s experience includes implementation of globalization strategies by developing teams in international markets during numerous expatriate and business assignments in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Japan and Germany. He has consistently leveraged his unique abilities as a multilingual (English, Spanish, and Portuguese) executive to develop long term client relationships; lead business development opportunities and global expansion initiatives by leading virtual teams and geographically dispersed professionals.

Kendall is very active in community development, by volunteering with organizations like Jars of Clay, Junior Achievement, Leaders of Tomorrow and leading international mission trips to under-developed nations. He also serves as a Spanish and Portuguese teacher for international mission volunteers. He is active as a mentor to IT professionals that strive for C-level professional opportunities. Kendall is a member of the Information Technology Senior Management Forum and serves as president of BDPA Middle Tennessee chapter.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in Computer Science from John Carroll University, and a Master of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and member of the Project Management Institute.

Favorite Quote: "Live free to be all you can be."

Please use the POST COMMENT link below to share some BDPA-Love with the president our BDPA Middle Tennessee chapter!

Grant Disbursement: BDPA Los Angeles ($6,092)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to approve a $6,092 grant disbursement to the BDPA Los Angeles chapter.

The chapter VP-Finance David Malonson and chapter president John Malonson followed the BETF funding guidelines by submitting a funding request last week. The funds will be used to cover expenses for the 2012 computer camp including student lunches, supplies and books. The funding will also cover the expense of bringing a team of students and chaperones to Baltimore to represent southern California in the 2012 BDPA High School Computer Competition championship.

We still are working to fully fund the BDPA Los Angeles HSCC Scholarship Fund. Please help us with a small donation if you have time or inclination. In the meantime, we want to wish the LA chapter team well as they travel cross-country to the 2012 BDPA Technology Conference. As the song says, 'We Love L.A.'!

Message from National BDPA President

by Monique Berry
National BDPA President

I'll See You in Baltimore

Over the years, the National BDPA Technology Conferences have taken on unique personalities based on the venues in which they were held, as well as the character of their host chapters and leadership team. Attendees have access to top-notch keynote speakers, topical educational sessions, and a myriad of networking opportunities along with recreation; all in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere--and they do so at affordable prices.

Given the opportunity, conference attendees like to play almost as hard as they work. So it's no surprise that our conferences give them the chance to do both by combining quality educational and networking events with challenging and enjoyable recreational activities.

To kick off the 2012 Conference, a few preconference events have been added to this year's schedule. We can look forward to a Tuesday HBCU panel and reception as well as two certification classes; Healthcare IT and Cloud Essentials.

Recreational offerings include golf at Bulle Rock, a premier Maryland golf course. Conference attendees can also try their luck on the gaming tables or laugh the night away at Casino Night. Other activities will include a visit to the Great Blacks in the Wax Museum, the ability to soak up the atmosphere at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, or check out the Leaping lizards and Diving dolphins at the National Aquarium.

In addition to the recreational offerings, the events bring together members and corporate sponsors in an informal and collegial setting, allowing them to expand their network of contacts while keeping abreast of important developments in the information technology industry. The educational sessions are excellent, and feature higher profile keynote speakers that may be economically more feasible for many local chapter events. The events also strengthen the bond among BDPA's chapters as volunteers work together to plan each conference.

The annual conference has worked well for us over the years, and there are plans for future regional conferences. The Washington D.C. chapter currently hosts a regional conference attracting many local executives, government officials, and others from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas. The program includes a Regional High School Computer Competition and IT showcase as a precursor to the national competitions.

So, join us in Baltimore, July 31 through August 4, where I'm sure you'll find the right combination of work and play for you.

Grant Proposal: Exelon Foundation (BDPA Dallas)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked closely this week with the BDPA Dallas chapter leaders to complete a grant proposal seeking $5,000 in funding from the Exelon Foundation. The funds would be used to support the 2013 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program operated by the chapter volunteers. We submitted the online grant application today and we're told to expect an answer within the next 4-6 weeks.

Wish us luck!

BDPA In The News

Have you seen our blog called 'BDPA in the News'. This blog archives and publishes fully searchable links to mainstream media articles about the BDPA Foundation, BDPA, its members and initiatives.

Please provide us the link to any mainstream news or magazine articles about BDPA from your local area media. We will immediately add your link to the growing archives on 'BDPA in the News'

In the meantime, we would love to know your thoughts on this blog! What say u?

2006 National BDPA HSCC Champions (Chicago)

My understanding is that this photo includes the young brothers from Chicago that won the 2006 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship in Los Angeles, CA.  

L-R: Yvette Graham, TBD, Lee Reed, TBD, Joseph Huggins, Gibran McDuffie and TBD.

Can anyone help us name the other folks in this photo?

Microsoft Volunteer Manager

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is now one of the nonprofits that can benefit from the Microsoft Volunteer Manager. Thousands of Microsoft employees and alumni are using Volunteer Manager to find volunteer opportunities, record hours, and request matching funds.

I encourage Microsoft employees who volunteer in support of BDPA programs around the nation to register. You are already helping BDPA meet its needs ... why not let BDPA also benefit financially from your volunteer efforts?

Our understanding is that Microsoft will make a volunteer grant equal to $17/hour for every hour that a Microsoft employee documents via the Volunteer Manager! Our first approved volunteer is Kevin Robinson. Kevin documented the hours that he has volunteered in support of the BDPA Charlotte chapter's youth education program.

Who's next?

Grant Disbursement: BDPA Chicago ($5,000)

BDPA Chicago chapter president Pamela Sexton read about the good fortunes of BDPA Charlotte chapter earlier this week. The article prompted her to reach out to the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) for financial support. She learned about the BETF funding guidelines and reviewed the specific procedure for seeking financial support for BDPA's youth education programs. Most importantly, she followed the instructions and made a formal request for $5,000 in grant funding from BETF.

Pam gave a compelling reason for the funding support when she wrote,

"The training program for the BDPA Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program has been ongoing and challenging. The students in the program are committed and should be allowed to demonstrate what they have learned in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship. We are now preparing to attend the national conference and have a fundraiser scheduled to support this effort. But, due to a reduction in financial support, we are requesting support from BETF."

BETF approved this funding request in full!

BETF is going through the administrative process to cut a check for $5,000 made out to BDPA Chicago chapter. We look forward to seeing the chapter's students at the upcoming HSCC championship in Baltimore!

BDPA iRadio Show - June 12, 2012 (Shauna Cox, James Gadsden, Pam Sexton)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. Our Internet Radio Show has been up and running for nine months with over 80 guests. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

Episodes of the BDPA iRadio Show are now available for immediate and FREE download from the iTunes Store.

Listen to internet radio with BDPA on Blog Talk Radio

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The guests on the June 12th show:

James Gadsden - HSCC Alumni (2007-2009), BDPA Philadelphia - James competed as a member of the high school computer competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Philadelphia chapter in 2007-2009. After graduation from high school he came back to support his chapter as the assistant HSCC coordinator. He has a unique perspective on the BDPA mantra of ‘classroom to the boardroom’ to share with our iRadio Show leadership.

Shauna Cox - IT Director, Chicago Housing Authority - Shauna has worked in the IT industry for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems, an MBA in Strategic Planning & Policy and a Masters in Urban Planning & Policy. Shauna is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Shauna enjoys sharing her experience and often teaches university courses in technology & business management. She will present a workshop at the 2012 BDPA Technology Conference on the topic, 'Managing Your Digital Footprint'.

Pamela Sexton - conference director, National BDPA - Pam Sexton is completing the second year of her term of office as BDPA Chicago chapter president -- the largest chapter in the nation. BDPA Chicago chapter earned the 2011 'Outstanding Community Service' award under Pam's leadership. In addition, Pam served for the past three years as the national BDPA conference director. Last year (2011) was especially memorable as the national conference was held in the Windy City. Pam can share some remarkable 'best practice' ideas because of her unique perspective as both a chapter president and conference director. It is also worth noting that Pam recently accepted yet another leadership challenge as the national BDPA vice president, Strategy & Planning in 2012-2013.

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We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

Grant Disbursement: BDPA Charlotte ($6,150)

BDPA Charlotte chapter president Markus Beamer submitted a $6,500 funding request in accordance with the guidelines laid out by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).

Markus indicated that the funds would be used for the "BDPA Charlotte chapter high school computer competition (HSCC) program ... an information technology class made up of 22, 3-hour sessions in which 8th-to-12th grade students are taught how to build web applications. This program is connected to the National BDPA Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. A majority of these funds are to be used to provide transportation and lodging for the national competition."

BETF approved the request in full.

A check for $6,150 is being processed for disbursement to the BDPA Charlotte chapter. Our hope is that the other 44 local BDPA chapters will contact BETF if they are interested in getting funding support! The plan works ... if only each chapter would work the plan!

Grant Declination: Xerox Foundation (National BDPA)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) asked the Xerox Foundation to provide us with a $25,000 grant in support of BDPA's Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program. We are disappointed to report that our grant proposal was turned down.

The declination letter read as follows:

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Dear Mr. Hicks,

Thank you for your proposal requesting Xerox Foundation support for the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. Your proposal was reviewed at the last Contributions Committee Meeting, and regretfully, we must decline. The Foundation is unable to consider additional awards at this time.

As you can imagine, many worthwhile organizations request assistance each year, so this decline is in no way intended as a reflection on the worthiness of this program. It is simply a matter of allocating the Foundation's limited funds to the extraordinary number of organizations needing our support.

I appreciate your giving us an opportunity to support this program and hope you understand our position.

Sincerely,
Joseph M. Cahalan, president
Xerox Foundation

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We do understand ... and we hope that Dr. Cahalan knows we will be back with a new proposal next year!

Newsletter: BDPA Chicago (June 2012)

Newsletter: BDPA Chicago (Jun 2012)

View more documents from BDPA Foundation

Grant Declination: Cracker Barrel Foundation (BDPA Middle Tennessee)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is disappointed to report that our funding effort with Cracker Barrel Foundation was unsuccessful. BETF had reached out to this funding source for a $3,000 grant in support of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program implemented by our BDPA Middle Tennessee chapter under the leadership of chapter president Kendall Norris. However, we recently received a declination letter from Cracker Barrel that read as follows:

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Dear Mr. Hicks,

We appreciate your giving Cracker Barrel Foundation the opportunity to review your request to support your program.

It is our privilege to support the communities who have contributed to our success over the years. Unfortunately, with more than 612 stores across the country, we find the need continually exceeds the limited support we are able to provide. After careful review of your submission with our Board of Directors, we regret to inform you that we will not be able to make a contribution to your organization at this time. However, we applaud your commitment to this worthwhile cause and wish you great success in your endeavors on its behalf.

Thank you for thinking of the Cracker Barrel Foundation.

Your truly,
Penny Carroll
Director

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Although we were sad to lose out on this grant request for our chapter in Nashville, Tennessee ... we are not deterred from our passion to raise funds to support BDPA programs, scholarships and services all over the nation!

Video Highlights: 2012 Blogging While Brown Conference

Have you attended a Blogging While Brown conference yet? Here are some highlights of the 2012 BWB conference held last week in Philadelphia.

Take Five: Julia Josefina Berg (BDPA Boston)

Our blog tries to share insights on BDPA from a variety of perspectives. BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) exists to raise money to support BDPA programs, scholarships and services. Sometimes it helps to hear from those who benefit from BDPA.

For example, Julia Josefina Berg is a young woman who participated as a member of the 2004 national high school computer competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Boston chapter. She went off to college to major in Interactive Media and Game Development. Now she is working for Deloitte.

BETF is very happy that Julia agreed to participate in its 'Take Five' interview series.

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1. How did you get involved with BDPA? - My freshman year in high school I enrolled in a 4-year Computer Programming course part of the Rindge School of Technical Arts program at Cambridge Rindge and Latin. My high school was predominately minority students with low numbers in technology courses. While this was frustrating at times, it also allowed me to have a lot of 1 vs. 1 attention with my good friend, mentor, and teacher Ms. Williams, whom encouraged me to challenge myself to starting my own web design company and finding other minorities interested in pursuing computer science careers. It was she who sent me information about my local BDPA chapter and helped me to enroll in the Saturday training courses.
2. Did BDPA have any influence on your college or career choices? - Definitely, BDPA gave me exposure to different careers and companies that were interested in minority women in the computer science field. It helped me realized that my skills were in high demand and that with continued dedication in my education, I could have a successful career. I also found that my mentors in my Saturday courses provided me with real-world examples of how they used the technical skills they taught me, which made me explore the different career paths computer science could lead to.
3. What do you like most about being a technology consultant with Deloitte? - My favorite part about being a technology consultant with Deloitte is the fact that I am constantly challenged; I have worked in 6 states the last year, each time with a completely different team, client, and technical problem to solve. Part of what I loved most about the HSCC was being thrown a challenge and having to work as a team under pressure to solve a problem, my career choice compliments this aspect completely.
4. What future evolution or change would you like to see in BDPA's STEM-based training? - I would like to see some remote training available for those in areas without current chapter teams, perhaps an online mentorship program that would allow mentors like myself who are unable to commit to one location, to help students with AP computer science prep, technical skill building, HSCC training, etc.
5. Any advice for people considering a donation to BDPA Education and Technology Foundation? - BDPA taught me that where you are from and the culture you are raised in has a lasting impact in establishing your identity, but should not limit your success. I credit my college scholarship and current career in technology consulting, to Ms. Williams, and all of my BDPA minority mentors in technology that both paved the way for me, as well as taught me the important of continuing the tradition.

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BDPA has trained thousands of young people like Julia over the years. We could use your support if we hope to train thousands more in the coming weeks, months and years.

Where Are They Now: Nevada Chapter Founders

Anyone know where these brothers are now? For that matter ... were there any sisters involved in the creation of our BDPA Nevada chapter? What say u?

Grant Award: Raytheon Cybergrant ($6,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to announce that Raytheon has awarded a $6,000 cybergrant in support of the BDPA programs and services in the greater Los Angeles area. This award is a direct result of the efforts by BDPA Los Angeles chapter president John Malonson. Here is the award letter that came with the check:

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To: BDPA Education and Technology Foundation

Raytheon is pleased to present this Cybergrant to the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. We are proud to support your efforts on the Student Information Technology & Scholarships (SITES) program which enriches the educational opportunities for students in after-school program of technology training by the BDPA Los Angeles chapter with a focus on low- and moderate-income communities.

Susana Escalante
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems

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BDPA Los Angeles chapter recently announced the selection of five young students who will represent the chapter and the city in the 2012 national BDPA High School Computer Competition championship being held later this year in Baltimore. This funding from Raytheon will have a direct impact on their performance. Please join me in sharing some BDPA-Love with Raytheon for their continued support of BDPA programs, scholarships and services!