Join Nancy Ridge Founder of Ridge Innovative and Claire Smith, LEGACY Scholarship Recipient of Aspire2STEAM, for a fascinating conversation on “Things of Tomorrow” and the next generation of women in tech! Claire Smith, is a post-graduate student at the University of Maryland Global Campus, majoring in Learning Design and Technology, who envisions a digital future that is more diversified, inclusive, and accessible. The aspiring innovator was breaking boundaries as far back as 2015, when Claire participated in Girls Who Code DC. There, she learned six different programming languages: C++, CSS, HTML, Java, JavaScript, and Python. Her prowess awarded her recognition on that year’s TenXList, which celebrates women commencing their technology careers. That same year, Claire joined Digital Harbor Foundation (DHF), an organization seeking to expand technological literacy. She thereafter developed her first educational tool, “NatureCoders,” instructional insect toys made to teach children C++ through an interactive story that takes them beyond their desks and into nature. The project ended up winning the Baltimore Hackathon. A huge problem plaguing STEM is a lack of mentorship. Claire’s contributions to STEM conferred her the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) award and several grants, which she used to mentor her own students. Via her own co-op, she taught coding to homeschoolers, a demographic disadvantaged in technological education. Additionally, via NCWIT’s AspireIT program, Claire led two classes for young girls: one for 3D printing and one for wearable electronics. Currently, Claire specializes in front-end development, digital fabrication, user experiences and interfaces, and web design. She holds a Bachelor’s in General Studies with a minor in Web and Digital Design, and has also been a John Hopkins Mellon Scholar and a Changemakers Fellowship award recipient. She also knows American Sign Language. Index: 01:22 – Introduction of Claire Smith and her Background 05:26 – Computer Science and related fields underrepresentation among women 12:22 – Claire’s motivation and vision for the future 15:48 – Experience while younger 31:25 – Mentorship 35:50 – Use of grants and confidence Helpful Links – Aspire2STEAM - https://aspire2steam.org If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe to us on Soundcloud for more episodes and write us a review! Share this episode with anyone interested in unconventional ideas. Do you have questions, comments, insight on the topics discussed today? Send an email to support@ridgeinnovative.com with Subject: “Culture of Innovation E22”! Follow Us On: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-of-innovation/id1537650821 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ce61f5ea-6e14-4056-bcf4-bdb2717eb9ca/culture-of-innovation Website: https://ridgeinnovative.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancy_ridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-ridge-085988a YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEMawW6iUoDcQDjvtKTBzA Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/culture-of-innovation Release Date: 19 September 2024
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