10 of 50: GET IT

The fact that women are underrepresented in technology careers is no secret. Articles and reports frequently document the gender gap in IT and related fields. The real question is What can be done about it? GET IT (Girls Educating Themselves about Information Technology) is one organization that’s trying to create solutions.

Benefitting Women, the Tech Industry, and the Community

GET IT was founded eleven years ago by Kacie Conroy, now an IT Manager in M3’s Madison office. GET IT works with partners in the area to conduct a variety of technology-focused camps, programs, and conferences—efforts that are helping girls and young women better understand the many career opportunities in technology. In fact, GET IT goes a step further by helping to connect their individual interests with real possibilities in the tech industry.

As the Madison area continues to be an increasingly attractive location for tech companies, GET IT is playing a key role in expanding the number of women interested in technology as a career. It’s also helping to keep bright young minds in the area and creating a stronger, more diverse workforce.

Being Tech-Savvy: The Benefits Run Deep

M3 embraces the efforts of GET IT and was recently the t-shirt sponsor for Kids GET IT, a camp that focuses on teaching programming concepts to middle school students.

By learning Scratch, an interactive program designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, camp participants can begin to apply basic programming concepts in a fun and innovative way. In the process, they can better understand project design, develop problem-solving strategies, and explore the vast possibilities for communicating ideas in the 21st century.

Encouraging Employee Volunteering

M3 is a firm believer in the value of providing volunteer time off (VTO) to its employees. GET IT founder and M3 IT Manager Kacie Conroy uses her VTO to participate in CyberGirlz, a two-day summer camp held at UW-Whitewater that’s designed for middle school girls interested in computer technology.

Kids GET IT

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