BFOIT - Berkeley Foundation for Opportunities in Computer Science

Upcoming Events:

  • May 24th
    Techie Saturday

  • August 4th - 15th 2008
    ITLP Summer Institute
    at UC Berkeley

News:

BFOIT Programs

BFOIT is trying to eliminate the barriers what have traditionally kept women and underrepresented minorities (African Americans, Chicanos/Latinos, Filipinos) from entering computer science and engineering. We are working on constructing a pipeline- a clear, articulated path, from middle school through career, that will provide all the resources and options available to students, with BFOIT being a stable advocate the whole way.

We have several programs that work in unison to support such a pipeline that identifies, recruits and retains promising new leaders who are women and otherwise underrepresented. The mix includes internships, scholarships, networking opportunities, mentoring, and behind-the-scenes advocacy.

BFOIT recognizes that there are many quality programs to help motivated students reach their goals. But they are not connected and in fact it is confusing to figure out who does what, who is located where, and how to get information. We are trying to take the guesswork and frustration out of the process of finding success in the fields of information technology.

  • Information Technology Leadership Program: We identify and develop students who show exceptional promise in the fields of computer science and engineering. ITLP educates and trains middle and high school students in technology topics and leadership skills, gives them the necessary tools to be successful in their quest for higher education, and breaks down barriers that have traditionally thwarted achievement.
  • Summer Institute: The 2008 BFOIT Summer Institute will bring over twenty-five middle school and 25 high school students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds with interest and skills in computer science - to the campus of U.C. Berkeley for two weeks. There, the students will be exposed to the fundamentals of computer programming, attend workshops, interact with academics and high tech professionals, and become more familiar with a university environment. In addition to gaining tangible skills, the students’ accomplishments and exposure instill a belief in themselves and their ability to pursue a high tech education at a competitive university. Furthermore, the program enables BFOIT to engage with a cohort of young students, with whom we maintain communication for the Leadership program in the Fall.
  • Recruitment Day: In order to improve these students’ potential for admission to college, BFOIT offers a number of workshops. We reach out to the graduates of our summer institute for participation in these events. For example, BFOIT offers scholarships for SAT preparation courses to the students.
  • SCI-FY: For middle school students, SCI-FY provides several programs that work together to create a support pipeline that identifies, recruits and retains promising new leaders who are women and otherwise underrepresented. Students engage in hands-on, inquiry-based projects and activities that challenge them to integrate their conceptual and procedural understanding. The intent of SCI-FY is to cultivate in students an understanding of scientific thinking, the design process of engineering, the power of mathematical problem solving, and the application of computer modeling and programming to solving real-life problems. We believe this exposure will help encourage historically underrepresented ethnic groups and women to pursue degrees in higher education and careers in science, technology, and engineering fields.
  • Undergraduate support: BFOIT’s network of support for our undergraduates consists of scholarships, internships, and mentoring for individual students and support for student groups. Selected scholars are supported by a local IT company with scholarships ; mentoring by an employee; and internships in which the student has a full-time summer job at the company after his/her sophomore and junior years. This allows the students to develop job skills and relationships with potential employers. n addition, BFOIT provides assistance to student groups in order to foster community among underrepresented students such as the Women in Science and Engineering theme residence and the Latino Association of Graduate Students in Science and Engineering.

In addition to the programs for the students, BFOIT is assisting in the formation of a consortium of Bay Area public education institutions that offer instruction in information technology. Such a network will improve communication and articulation among the programs, and allow students to perceive a more seamless array of educational paths.