Claremont High School students will soon experience how technology can solve real world problems.

In an effort to increase student interest in information technology (IT), Claremont Graduate University researchers Gondy Leroy and Brian Hilton are implementing a new interdisciplinary project at Claremont High School this spring designed to blend together information technology and environmental issues.

Entitled “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Increase Interest in Information Technology Through an Environmental Project,” the endeavor will show students another side of information technology in relation to social causes.

“Many people buy into the stereotype that information technology is only for geeks but that is not true,” she said. “This project will allow students to use information technology to do something that is socially relevant to them. This is about showing them more of the big picture. So students that are interested in environmental science can use the tools of information technology to work even more effectively.”

According to Mr. Hilton, environmental science represents a growing trend among students.

“Of all the AP classes, environmental science has the highest enrollment throughout the United States,” he said.

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) awarded a $15,000 grant toward the project last December. Microsoft Research supplements the funding for the NCWIT Seed Fund Award.

Working with mentors from CGU's School of Information Systems and Technology, teams of students will conduct an Urban System Analysis of the CHS campus. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, they will be able to conduct studies such as analyzing the environmental and economic benefits of trees.

“Ideally they will do something at the high school and use that as the study site but they won't be restricted to the campus,” Mr. Hilton said. “Within the scope of the project, they will receive an overview of what GIS is. They'll go through tutorials on it and learn how to use the software before actually going out and using the it. We want them to explore.”

CHS Assistant Principal June Hilton is a co-principal investigator of the project. Ms. Hilton said the project will be open to all CHS students who wish to participate and will not be confined to environmental science students. 

“Anyone who has an interest and wants to know more about it can come to our upcoming meeting and have input,” she said. “It’s really a great opportunity and it’s pretty exciting to have the good fortune of partnering with the Claremont Colleges, to build on that partnership and further foster the relationship between the district and the community.” 

While both male and female students are encouraged to participate, one of project’s goals is to generate more interest in information technology within the younger female population. NCWIT reported women as holding more than half of all professional occupations in the country, but fewer than 26 percent of all computing-related occupations. Only 17 percent of female high school students go on to enroll in IT-related courses. 

“The stereotype is that girls are not into computers because it is seen as something more for geeks,” Ms. Leroy explained. “Then you have women who get into the field but once they are there, it is hard to stay for a number of reasons. So you have women who don't enter the field and then you have a significant number of women who leave the field. Yet one of the benefits of working in information technology is that it does have flexibility and many times you can work from home.” 

Once the project is complete at CHS, the investigators will evaluate its success before implementing it at El Roble Intermediate School. Ms. Hilton views the program’s success at the junior high level as being a possible springboard for students to take more computer science related courses in high school. 

“We want to take this next year to El Roble and involve the 7th and 8th graders with the CHS students acting as mentors,” she said. “Then when they go to high school, they will want to take classes that integrate computer science into what they want to do. We want to show them that they can use the computer to help solve real world problems.”