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Today, understanding and using technology is as much a required element of the academic experience as reading, writing, and mathematics. Maryland, in particular, has an increasing need to develop a technologically literate workforce because of its close proximity to Washington, DC and northern Virginia, where so much of the defense industry and governmental infrastructures are located. But it is not enough that students simply understand and use technology; they must also develop and design it. As of 2004, women are still significantly underrepresented as computer engineers and computer scientists, and there is little indication that this trend is reversing. If Maryland is expected to continue to advance its status as a leader in information technology (IT) nationally, it must ensure that the brightest minds, including women’s, are developed to support and advance our technology industry.

The Maryland Commission for Women commissioned this report as a first step in supporting the development and evaluation of interventions that will encourage girls’ and women’s full participation in IT and technology related courses and careers. This participation will strengthen Maryland’s IT workforce, raise the standard of living for many women, and help to assure that information technology addresses women’s needs and expands the possibilities for their lives.