DETROIT ? Last Thursday’s Fundraising Auction held Nov. 16 by the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation raised $33,126, more than three times the amount raised at last year’s charity silent auction. The beneficiaries will be young women pursuing technology careers.
Those women could win scholarships worth up to $20,000 over four years, or a complete laptop computer set up, including a printer, said MCWTF President Rosemary Bayer.
?We sponsor college, graduate and graduate-level research,?? Bayer said. ?We?ve given more than $60,000 in scholarships so far and we?ll give out more next year.?
Bayer said her group?s goal was to double the $10,000 raised last year at the silent auction. So more than tripling that goal surprised even the optimistic Bayer. More money will be raised for the scholarship fund through corporate sponsors and other activities in 2007.
The third annual fundraiser was co-sponsored by Ford Motor Company, and held at the Ford Conference Center in Dearborn, the evening event included remarks from Cherri Musser, volunteer president of the MCWT and VP/Chief Information Officer for GMAC.
Musser told more than a hundred attendees that there will be a dramatic shortage of U.S. skilled IT professionals over the next eight years ? particularly among women. Only 22 percent of the graduating class of technology related degrees in 2005 went to women.
?That is a real problem,? she said. ?Talented women are not choosing technology careers for a variety of reasons. One well-documented reason is a need for greater support from their parents, teachers, families and from successful professionals already in the field. We are trying to do our share to pragmatically encourage them, for their sakes and also for the sake of the corporations, organizations and community who need their technical talents now and in the near future.?
By providing scholarships to women seeking technology careers, the foundation hopes to increase the percentage of women in the IT business world.
Applications for the 2007 scholarships will be go online at the Foundation?s web site later this week. Click on MCWTF.Org
