Verizon Scholars Program

Thanks to a Verizon Foundation grant of $50,000, Simmons will continue introducing Boston Public School high school girls to technology. Through the Verizon Scholars Program, eight Simmons students - who themselves are successfully pursuing studies in graphic design or computer science - teach and mentor 16 teen girls in Web design.

"The Verizon Scholars program is an outreach program meant to encourage young women to prepare for and pursue careers in information technology," said Donna Beers, math professor and director of the program. "The program recognizes that mentoring can play a strong role in attracting young women to technical fields."

The program concentrates on Web design principles instead of specific software applications. Topics that are covered include creating Web graphics, authoring Web pages, and creating animation.

The weekly trainings, held at Simmons, begin during the spring semester and conclude with a project fair and banquet in May. Ellen Grabiner, multimedia instructor, and Nanette Veilleux, assistant professor of computer science, serve as faculty advisers to the mentors.

Each high school student who successfully completes the program receives a technology award of hardware and software, valued at $1,000.

The program is a partnership between Simmons, TechBoston, and the Verizon Foundation, three organizations that share the commitment of opening doors to women for careers in technology. TechBoston, a technology initiative of the Boston Public Schools, is currently working to help identify, select, and recruit the high school mentees.