Women Account for Only 29% of the Workforce in Science and Engineering Occupations
Sylvia Acevedo, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA
(Washington, DC, Monday, December 4, 2017) – At a time when women account for only 29% of the workforce in science and engineering occupations, Raytheon and Girl Scouts of the USA are teaming up to provide programs that will fuel girls’ interest in computer science careers in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data science, among other fields.
The new computer science program will build girls’ confidence to “Think Like a Programmer,” and – like all Girl Scout programming – it will be girl-led. Girls in middle and high school will have the opportunity to apply what they learn during Girl Scouts’ first-ever Cyber Challenge.
Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, knows that during this pivotal time in girls’ lives, Girl Scouts is best poised to deliver STEM programming in a way that jump starts their future.
SOUNDBITE #1:
WE ARE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE YOUNG WOMEN WHO ARE LEADERS TODAY AND WILL BECOME THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW. BY WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN GIRLS, WE CAN FUEL THE STEM PIPELINE. THROUGH THIS NEW INITIATIVE, WE WILL INSPIRE MILLIONS OF GIRLS TO EXPLORE COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREERS AND REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL.
SOUNDBITE #2:
FEW GIRLS ARE ENGAGED IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, YET THE NEED FOR MORE WOMEN IN THIS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FIELD OF WORK CONTINUES TO GROW. OUR “THINK LIKE A PROGRAMMER” JOURNEY HOPES TO REVERSE THIS TREND BY ENCOURAGING MORE GIRLS TO PURSUE COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREERS. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO HELP MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF FIELDS LIKE CYBERSECURITY, DATA SCIENCE, AND ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE, WHILE HIGHLIGHTING THE COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD. WITH EXPERT AND ENGAGING PROGRAMMING THAT MAINTAINS GIRLS’ INTEREST DURING THIS IMPORTANT TIME IN THEIR LIVES, GIRL SCOUTS ARE THE ANSWER TO THIS CRITICAL TALENT SHORTAGE.
For more information visit www.raytheon.com/girlscouts.