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 ( dchubin@aaas.org) 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 ( rjohnson@aaas.org) 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.