Several scholarships valued up to $20,000, as well as stipends for laptops, are available to eligible female senior high school and college candidates, focused on pursuing technology education at the undergraduate and graduate level.

With many of its members noting a paucity of qualified women candidates for openings in their own companies, MCWTF delivered a breakthrough study in late 2005 outlining the best practices for retention and advancement of women in technology-related roles. The study, supported by a number of well-known Michigan corporations, encapsulates the 5 best practices for retention, and the top 5 practices for advancing women in technology careers. Access to the best educational opportunities ranks high on the list of practices.

The Foundation also recently collated and published a set of practices designed to help parents and teachers of girls to combat early prejudice and lack of exposure to technology.

Besides scholarships, the MCWT Foundation also delivers an annual technology camp at Lawrence Technological University where 4th-7th grade girls design web pages, take apart computers, build and program robots, and learn about digital photography.

“We find that kids enjoy the interactive sessions so much that by the end of the camp, they ask to stay another week. By demonstrating that technology is fun and that everyone can do it, we encourage more girls to consider and view the sciences as exciting career options,” said Rosemary Bayer, MCWTF President.

Other MCWTF programs include sponsoring all-girls Robofest teams as well as Student Interest Groups at both the University and High School levels.

In addition to its scholarships, The MCWT Foundation also delivers an annual technology camp at Lawrence Technological University where 4th-7th grade girls design web pages, take apart computers, build and program robots, and learn about digital photography. “We find that kids enjoy the interactive sessions so much that by the end of the camp, they ask to stay another week. By demonstrating that technology is fun and that everyone can do it, we encourage more girls to consider and view the sciences as exciting career options,” states Rosemary Bayer, MCWTF President. Other MCWTF programs include sponsoring all-girls Robofest teams as well as Student Interest Groups at both the University and High School levels. For more information on the scholarships, click on MCWTF.Org