Girls Get IT Conference has been honored with the 2023-2024 District-wide Innovation of the Year by the Maricopa Community Colleges and the League for Innovation in the Community College. This distinguished award, presented on March 22, 2024, is part of the Maricopa Innovation of the Year Awards Program. It allows employees across all ten colleges to showcase the innovations they created and implemented that have positively impacted students' education.
Girls Get IT is not just an annual conference. It is a beacon of empowerment for female students in grades 7-12 pursuing their interests and passions in the vast information technology (IT) opportunities. The conference does more than just showcase the latest in emerging technologies. It paves the way for educational pathways and professional opportunities in IT, fostering connections with industry professionals and inspiring attendees to envision themselves as future leaders in IT.
Tiffany Young, Community Events Coordinator at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC), shares her pride in the recognition. “It is an honor to support initiatives like the Girls Get IT Conference that promote diversity and inclusion in the IT industry. It empowers young women to explore their potential and envision themselves as future leaders in IT.”
Girls Get IT is sponsored by the Maricopa IT Institute-East Valley (MITI-EV), a collaborative effort among Scottsdale Community College, CGCC, Rio Salado College, and Mesa Community College. The Institute, a leading provider of IT education and training in the region, provides career readiness for the IT sector, offering courses to up-skill workers and meet the demands of the technological workforce in areas such as app development using Swift/Xcode, big data, cloud computing, mobile and wearable technology, and the Internet of Things.
“This recognition is a testament to the impact and importance of our work,” said Jenna Kahl, AVP of Institutional Advancement at CGCC. “Events like the Girls Get IT Conference play a crucial role in fostering the next generation of innovators and leaders in technology. By providing young women with access to education, mentorship, and networking opportunities, we are shaping a brighter future for the technology sector.”
On behalf of CGCC, congratulations to the innovators who brought Girls Get IT to fruition.
Innovators:
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Melanie Burm, Director, External Affairs, Scottsdale Community College
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Diane Meza, District Director, Information Technology Institute, District Office
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Michelle Traveler, Faculty Chair, Computer Technology, Rio Salado Community College
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Melanie Burm, Workforce Development through Community Partnerships, Scottsdale Community College
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Jenna Kahl, AVP Institutional Advancement, Chandler-Gilbert Community College
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Tiffany Young, Community Events Coordinator, Chandler-Gilbert Community College
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Nilam Patel, Development Officer Senior, Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation
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Dinah Estrada, Administrative Specialist Senior, Academic Program Administrator, Mesa Community Colleges
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Heather Tyler, Dean, Rio Salado Community College
The District-wide Innovation of the Year project Girls Get IT will also receive the Dr. Paul M. Pair Innovation of the Year Award of $2,500 to further the innovation. This Award is named in memory and honor of Dr. Paul M. Pair, a long-time member and former Maricopa Colleges Foundation board president. The League for Innovation in the Community College acknowledges the awardee on its website, along with other winning innovations submitted by community colleges nationwide.
The sixth annual Girls Get IT conference is on November 15, 2024. Registration will open in Fall 2024. To learn more please visit scottsdalecc.edu/community/girls-get-it.