Symantec Partners with the American Association of University Women to Develop Cybersecurity Core Class for Middle School Girls

It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. Only 25% of STEM jobs in the United States are held by women. What’s more, the need for cybersecurity professionals is on the rise – data breaches are more common, and more costly, then ever before – yet there were one million unfilled cybersecurity positions worldwide in 2014. This presents a two-pronged issue: a gender gap and a skills gap. One of Symantec’s core philanthropic areas is STEM education, with the cybersecurity issue particularly close to home.

Symantec’s newest grant partner is the American Association of University Women (AAUW), a nonprofit founded in 1881 that advocates for women’s empowerment through education, research, and policy. Their National Tech Trek Program is a weeklong STEM summer camp that will impact more than 1,600 middle school girls this year. AAUW received a $100,000 grant from Symantec to expand the curriculum to include a core class in cybersecurity. The class will be piloted this year in 3 camp locations:  Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Stanford University, and the University of California, Irvine.

Continue Reading on the Symantec CR in Action blog