History
At the heart of the Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce initiative is delivering a knowledge workforce in the IT sector while embracing IT career opportunities for underrepresented minorities. Since 2015, more than 2,500 Indiana high school students have gone through the program.
We feel a sense of responsibility in assisting with the preparation of the workforce of the future.
Mathew Palakal, executive associate dean, IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI
2021
563 iDEW grads have enrolled in a post-secondary program across 19 states.
14 students are attending 7 HBCUs.
20 iDEW students graduate from two or four-year post-secondary programs including Ivy Tech Community College, IUPUI, Manchester University, Purdue University West Lafayette, Southern Regional Technical College, Taylor University, and Vincennes University.
2 college graduates enroll in master's programs.
186 middle and high school teachers register for a second year of teacher professional development using Computing by Design (CxD) and funded by the Indiana Department of Education.
70 iDEW students register for summer workshops at the School of Informatics and Computing.
In fall 2021, all iDEW schools resumed in person instruction, allowing for iDEW staff and college mentors to once again come into the classrooms.
2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all iDEW activities at the high school and outside co-curricular activities move online.
112 high school teachers participate in professional development offered by iDEW faculty using iDEW's Computing by Design (CxD) curriculum and funded by the Indiana Department of Education.
44 iDEW students participate in online summer workshops offered by the School of Informatics and Computing as well as community partners beLithe, Black Data Processors Association, Code Black Indy, and Speaking College.
289 iDEW students graduate from high school; 125 apply to attend college.
83% apply to STEM programs.
2019
iDEW has 30 classes in 8 schools.
More than 400 students participate in the 3rd annual iDEW Day.
8 students attend BDPA national conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
119 iDEW students graduate from high school; 94 apply to attend college.
9 iDEW students receive Leading Informatics for Tomorrow (LiFT) scholarships to attend IUPUI.
33 students attend summer workshops including SAT preparation led by the Center for Leadership Development.
Summer field trips made to Cummins, Eli Lilly, and Kronos.
iDEW graduate Isabel Lopez one of 25 college students in the nation chosen for iSchool Inclusion Institute.
2018
iDEW adds five new Indianapolis-area high schools, for a total of eight:
- Arsenal Technical
- George Washington
- Herron
- McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology
- Pike
- Providence Cristo Rey
- Riverside
- Southport
iDEW now has 24 classes being taught in the eight schools.
The iDEW curriculum expands to include Robotics and Chatbots.
The iDEW program receives a Techpoint Mira Award for Tech Educator of the Year.
More than 250 students from five high schools participate in the 2nd annual iDEW Day, hosted by the School of Informatics and Computing on the IUPUI campus, where they hear from IT industry leaders, tour the IUPUI campus, and learn about the resources the university offers.
In August, 18 iDEW students attend the Black Data Processing Associates national conference in New Orleans.
61 iDEW students graduate high school in the spring; 58 apply to attend college in the fall.
11 iDEW students receive Leading Informatics for Tomorrow (LiFT) scholarships to attend IUPUI
iDEW students made summer field trips to Eli Lilly and Co., DMI, and Genesys.
2017
By the 2016-17 school year, a total of 14 iDEW classes are being offered at Arsenal Technical, Pike and Providence Cristo Rey high schools. Video Games and Data Visualization are added to the iDEW curriculum.
The IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI on October 10 wins the 2017 STEM Mentoring Award in the category of Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships for the iDEW initiative.
A group of 22 iDEW students attends the 2017 ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Two iDEW students receive Leading Informatics for Tomorrow (LiFT) scholarships to attend IUPUI.
iDEW students made visits to Cummins and Eli Lilly and Co. over the summer.
2016
iDEW is recognized at the White House as a finalist for a US2020 STEM Mentoring Award.
Number of iDEW classes triples to nine.
At the iDEW Showcase at the end of 2016, 60 teams present their end-of-semester final projects, demonstrating video games and mobile trivia apps.
iDEW students made summer field trips to Cisco and Google in Chicago.
2015
The Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce program begins as a partnership between the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI and JPMorgan Chase. Together, we endeavor to create a holistic pedagogical and career pathway model for IT that helps students develop skills essential for success in the 21st century workplace.
The iDEW program starts with one class each at three Indianapolis high schools: Arsenal Technical, Pike, and Providence Cristo Rey. In its pilot year, the program enrolls a total of 70 freshmen.
