Our Crowdfunding Groups
This campaign might be over, but that doesn't mean you can't support it! Help us grow the First Bytes Scholarship Fund by making a gift here! Your gift will help future generations of computer scientists for years to come!
First Bytes is a one-week camp that encourages and empowers aspiring high school girls to discover a passion for computing and problem solving, and aims to dispel myths and stereotypes about computer science. This unique camp allows attending young women to see how computers solve real-world problems in medicine and arts, get hands-on programming experience, visit research labs, learn about the newest technologies, and more.
First Bytes is a critical tool in UT's effort to draw more women into computer science by sparking their interest in tech while they are still in high school. Company sponsors help cover the cost of attendance for the girls, making this camp appreciably accessible and effective in increasing diversity at UTCS.
UTCS is the largest top-10 computer science program in the country, making it uniquely positioned to tackle head-on the demand to increase diversity in tech. In its 14 years, First Bytes has proven to be a significant pipeline of women into UTCS. 24% of our 2014 incoming freshmen class was women, much higher than the national average, and 25% of these women attended First Bytes. While this is notable, we believe we can do better. For individual students, the benefits of a computer science degree are manifest. Starting salaries for computer science graduates are 20% higher than the average college graduate, and this gap is continuing to widen. Yet, women still account for less than one fifth of students pursuing computer science. We want to make these incredible opportunities equally accessible to women. The First Bytes Scholarship Endowment will allow us to leverage the camp's success by offering scholarships to students who attended First Bytes and go on to major in computer science at the University of Texas at Austin. By working together to grow this endowment we can attract the nation's brightest, talented young women who will change the face of the next generation of computer science.
FAQ's
What is an endowment? Endowments are a sound investment in a better future. With an endowed gift, you provide permanent support for the University. Your gift is invested — never spent — and each year a distribution, like dividends on a mutual fund account, is made to your chosen program or area. Investment earnings above the dividend rate help the endowment value grow over time, to keep pace with inflation and maintain your endowment’s spending power.
What is a pledge? A pledge is a promise to pay a specific amount over a set period of time. Pledges for the First Bytes Scholarship Endowment can be made over a 5-year window. For example, if you make a $2,000 pledge today with an initial payment of $400, you can pay off the pledge by making a $400 gift each December for the next four years. We will send you a reminder each December. If you would like to make a pledge, click here.
Can I utilize my company match? YES! Many employers sponsor matching gift programs (Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc.) and will match any charitable contributions made by employees. To find out if your company has a matching gift program, please click here. Tip: You will need to request the matching gift from your employer.
All gifts, large and small, support talented young women interested in pursuing computer science. Make your gift today!
First Bytes has had approximately 900 girls go through the camp in the last 14 years. We need your help to continue supporting these aspiring high school women in their pursuit of computer science at UT and beyond.
The camp admits approximately 60-70 female students each summer and provides opportunities to learn a programming language, network with successful women in both corporate and academic fields, visit research labs, explore careers in computer science, and to experience life on a college campus.
24% of the 2014 UTCS freshman class was women and 25% of these women attended First Bytes.
Though women now represent 47% of the workforce, as compared to 38% in the 1970s, only 12% of engineers are female. - ComputerScience.org
Women earned 50.3% of the nation's science and engineering bachelor’s degrees in 2013. However, they receive only 17.9% of the nation's awarded computer science degrees and make up only 25% of the computer and mathematical sciences focused workforce. We need your help giving talented young women the same opportunity to access the exponentially expanding and rewarding field of computer science. -NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators, 2016
