NCWIT AiC Honors 3,610 Students and Educators in the 2021-2022 Awards Season
As the 2021-2022 awards season comes to a close, NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) is proud to announce that this year, a total of 3,610 unique recipients received a combined total of 3,893 recognitions. NCWIT AiC offers three distinct awards for high school students, college students, and educators, recognizing aspirations, abilities, technical accomplishments, and influential guidance. Below is a breakdown of this year’s recipients; click the links to learn more about the winners and honorable mentions for each award.
The Award for Aspirations in Computing honors 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. Awards are given at both National and Regional Affiliate levels, and participants may receive awards at both levels in the same season. This year, a total of 3,767 awards were given to students in 49 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, Overseas Military Bases, and Canada, in the following categories:
- National Winner: 40
- National Honorable Mention: 360
- Affiliate Winner: 1,290
- Affiliate Honorable Mention: 1,069
- Affiliate Rising Star: 784
- Certificate of Distinction: 224
The NCWIT Collegiate Award honors the outstanding computing accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate women, genderqueer, or non-binary undergraduate and graduate students. Conferred annually, the award recognizes technical contributions to projects that demonstrate a high level of innovation and potential impact. This year, the following recipients were recognized:
The AiC Educator Award identifies exemplary formal and informal educators who play a pivotal role in encouraging 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students to explore their interests in computing and technology. The award recognizes these educators for their efforts to promote gender equity in computing. This year, the following recognitions were given:
To make this awards season possible, more than 500 volunteer reviewers completed a total of 10,434 application reviews. The dedicated efforts of these volunteers are crucial to the success and ongoing impact of the NCWIT AiC Recognitions program. To join this effort, learn more about volunteering to review AiC Award applications here: aspirations.org/get-involved/volunteer-reviewers.
“From the influence of other women involved in STEM and computing that I've been able to connect with from the NCWIT community, I've been inspired to work on extra projects over the summer, furthering my knowledge in coding languages and mechanical engineering in robotics. In conclusion, I wanted to send a big thank you for the support you've provided to young women like myself since it truly does make a difference.”
— 2022 Aspirations in Computing Awardee
Research shows that encouragement plays a critical role in engaging students from diverse backgrounds in computing, and past recipients of the NCWIT AiC Awards often share that receiving an award helped encourage them to persist in their technical explorations. As one past recipient said, “NCWIT helped me find a community with similar goals and encouraged me to pursue a higher education in computer science.” Another stated, “This award has taught me the value in leadership. In a way, the award has shown me what it's like to be in a community of computing.” A third recipient shared that she was inspired to help others get involved: “The award affirmed that I have a place here, and has inspired me to be that encouragement for other girls in tech as well.”
To learn about all of the AiC award recipients from this year as well as previous years, visit the Awardees page.
