DIVAS mission is to “bridge the digital divide by combining media literacy and cultural awareness along with a vast understanding of technology to encourage young women of color to pursue careers in computer science and new media.” In recent studies it has been determined that the Information Technology field is made up of only 35% women and the number of women of color within that percentage is even less. DIVAS for Social Justice is determined to tear down economic and racial barriers to encourage young women of color to become future leaders in their communities and the Information Technology/New Media fields.
You can find out more about the DIVAS on their website (http://www.divasforsocialjustice.org/) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/26315210494/).
Andrea’s role is to help raise awareness of the group, to help with funding efforts and to bring the areas of programming and robotics to the program participants. In November, 6 youth participate in a LEGO Robotics after-school program at the DIVAS headquarters in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY. Ultimately, we are preparing to form a Robotics team to compete next year at the FIRST FLL LEGO tournaments.