SPARCS@Mac 2015 Recap: Information Technology Day Camp connects young women with the IT world

SPARCS@Mac teaches IT skills to young women from historically underrepresented populations

Blog post by Rachel Burnham, Minnesota Business Magazine
6-08-2015

This week, 27 young Minnesota women (grades 9-12) attended the information technology day camp called SPARCS@Mac, at Macalester College. They learned about a variety of computing-related careers along with building confidence, leadership and peer support.

The camp is meant to provide the opportunity to give participants the chance to increase their career awareness, sharpen their IT skills, engage in tech career discovery and cultivate “tech diva” friendships. Many of the young women who attended the camp are from historically underrepresented populations, including students of color, and would-be first generation college students.

Macalester partners with Advance IT Minnesota, a MnSCU Center of Excellence hosted by Metropolitan State University, to offer the SPARCS@Mac Summer Camp for young Minnesota women.