Web sites listed in the accompanying table to obtain in-depth and updated information.

While seeking to increase African-Americans’ entry into computing research careers, the Alliance for the Advancement of African American Researchers in Computing (A4RC) and the Advancing Robotics Technology for Societal Impact (ARTSI) connect students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities with the resources of top research institutions. A4RC covers a range of research topics; ARTSI focuses entirely on robotics.

The AccessComputing Alliance strives to increase the number of students with disabilities who complete postsecondary computing degrees and enter the computing work force. The program leads capacity-building institutes for computing departments. The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions’ (CAHSI) interventions center on undergraduates and the gateway of introductory courses, as well as the power of peer groups, to increase the number of Hispanic students entering the computing professoriate and work force.

With a goal of increasing women’s participation in information technology, the NCWIT has programs in K– 12 education, college-level outreach and curriculum reform, corporate recruitment and retention, and entrepreneurial endeavors.

Other Alliances work to increase the numbers of all minorities. For example, Students & Technology in Academia, Research & Service (STARS) targets undergraduates and directs its efforts toward all underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities. Its centerpiece is the STARS Leadership Corps, a program that draws students from all member institutions in yearlong, team-based leadership projects. Also working to increase the number of minorities is the EL Alliance, a program that provides a safety net to its participants by fostering networking opportunities, ongoing communication, and a shared learning experience.

Using community colleges as its centerpiece, the Commonwealth Alliance for Information Technology Education (CAITE) focuses on women and minorities in groups that are underrepresented in the Massachusetts

the BPc alliances
have made the field of
computing more real
and more attainable
for many students.

innovation economy, that is, economically, academically, and socially disadvantaged students. Georgia Computes! works to attract women and minorities into computing by building a computing education pipeline across the state of Georgia. Into the Loop aims to increase the computer science learning opportunities of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District and broaden the participation of African Americans, Hispanics, and girls in computing via the Computing Science Equity Alliance.

Looking ahead

The BPC Alliances have made the field of computing more real and more attainable for many students. In accomplishing this feat, BPC Alliances highlight at least two key characteristics of good alliances: the ability to collaboratively adjust approaches, structures, and practices; and the ability to develop new communication infrastructures to more effectively plan, implement, evaluate, and broadly disseminate effective practices.

In FY 2011, the NSF’s Division of
Computer and Network Systems is
investing in a comprehensive Educa-
tion and Work Force (EWF) Program.
The BPC Alliance Program, Comput-
ing Education for the 21st Century
(CE21), and the Graduate Research
Fellowship Program will be funded as
part of that activity. The Computing
Education for the 21st Century (CE21)
program seeks to increase competen-
cies for all students, regardless of gen-
der, race, ethnicity, disability status,
or socioeconomic status. By promot-
ing and enhancing K– 14 computing
education, it will enhance interest in
and student preparation for careers in
computing-intensive fields. CE21 will
support Type I (smaller-scale studies
of the effectiveness of new instruc-
tional materials and interventions and
strategies to develop K– 14 teaching
expertise), Type II (proven effective
implementations taken to scale), and
Planning proposals (support for the
establishment of new partnerships
and collaborations to develop Type I
and Type II proposals) 5.

References

1. bPC Common Core Indicators, Post-workshop Version. washington, DC: aaas working Paper, Feb. 9, 2010; http://php.aaas.org/programs/centers/ capacity/07_engagement/ 07_bPCProgram.php.

2. Chubin, D.e. and Johnson, r.y. telling the stories of the bPC alliances: how one nsF Program Is Changing the Face of Computing. aaas, washington, D. C., June 2010; http://php.aaas.org/programs/ centers/capacity/documents/bPC%20stories.pdf.

3. Computing Research News. Computing research association, washington, D.C., 2010; http://www.cra. org/uploads/documents/resources/taulbee/0809.pdf.

4. Congressional testimony, oct. 6 1999. Computing research association, washington, D.C., 2004; http:// archive.cra.org/Policy/testimony/lazowska-5.html.

5. national science Foundation: broadening Participating in Computing Program. national science Foundation, arlington, Va; http://www.bpcportal.org/bpc/shared/ about.jhtml.

6. u.s. bureau of labor statistics, office of occupational statistics and employment Projections. government Printing office, washington, D. C., 2009; http://www. bls.gov/oco/ocos303.htm.

7. webCasPar. national science Foundation, arlington, Va, 2010; https://webcaspar.nsf.gov/.

 

Daryl E. Chubin ( [e-mail]) is the director of the Center for advancing science & engineering Capacity at the american association for the advancement of science in washington, D.C.

Roosevelt Y. Johnson ( [e-mail]) at the time of the work reported here, was a Fellow at the Center for advancing science & engineering Capacity at the american association for the advancement of science in washington, D.C., on leave from the national science Foundation.

Copyright held by author.