Lero, the Irish Software Research Centre, has been named by Google as one of the global winners of the 2015 RISE Awards. Google’s RISE programme, which began in 2010, is designed to support organisations that encourage girls and underrepresented students in extracurricular computer science programmes. This year Google will contribute $1.5 million to 37 organisations in 17 countries.
Lero will use its $17,000 award to promote and organise computing summer camps at the University of Limerick aimed specifically at female secondary students from the age of 14.
“As a society we must encourage more girls to take up computing,” said Clare McInerney, education and outreach manager at Lero (pictured). “Many girls are put off computing from an early age because of its nerdy, geeky image. We aim to show girls that much of computing is about problem solving and collaborative thinking and that computing can be applied in diverse and varied domains.”
Lero, which is supported by Science Foundation Ireland, specialises in collaborative software research with an industry focus across six universities and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Lero also led the development of a schools course in computing which is due to be introduced to the Junior Cycle curriculum.
Over the last six years $4.3 million in RISE Awards has been granted to 205 organisations across over 25 countries, reaching over 200,000 students.
Commenting on the awards Roxana Shirkhoda, outreach programme manager at Google, said: “As a company started by two students with a curiosity for creating technology, we recognise the role Google can play in exposing youth to computer science. It is critical for students, particularly girls, underrepresented minorities and students of low economic background, to recognise they have the power not only to consume technology – but create it.
“We’re invigorated by the work of the 2015 RISE Award winners and look forward to partnering with them to inspire the next generation of computer scientists around the world.”
TechCentral Reporters
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