Description

A one year grant of $95,000 to support the development of blackcomputeHER’s upcoming conference, “Building and Connecting Technical Capacity for Black Women in Computing Sciences.”
BlackcomputeHER is a national and international non-profit dedicated to supporting computing and technical education and workforce development for black women and girls. It seeks to address the lack of inclusion in computing by providing access to opportunities, education and training, and executive thought leadership. Its recent work has focused on building a national network of black women in computing from academia, government, industry, technological entrepreneurs, and the non-profit sector.  BlackcomputeHER’s programming also includes its annual conference which welcomes black women and allies in the computing space, and its Fellows Program, a 12-month, cohort-based, leadership development program.
For its 2023 conference, blackcomputeHER has partnered with Virginia State University to convene its international network of women to support black women’s leadership, skill and capacity building, and wellness. The conference will take place from April 14 th – 15 th , and it will explore the current and future state of inclusivity in computing, assess the progress made toward making technology access and participation equitable, and discuss what must be done to ensure the voices of black women, and all women of color, are amplified in tech’s future.   Additionally, the convening will kick-off blackcomputeHER’s sixth annual Fellows Program by inviting over seventy new and former participants to participate in a year-long, intensive professional development experience for early career women.  Additional activities over the course of the year include technical training via workshops, monthly webinars, and one in-person professional development workshop.
The contributions of the network, conference, and Fellows Program will apply an intersectional research approach to first, deepen and grow the networks of women in computing, and two, to produce and disseminate across sectors empirical research that advances knowledge and understanding of how to attract, retain, and professionally support black women. 
BlackcomputeHER requests grant support its convening to fund scholarships for attendees, honoraria for speakers, personnel costs, travel expenses, and AV and technology costs.