EAST LANSING – More than a dozen Michigan State University student volunteers from the Women in Computing Group will be teaching high school girls on an event November 16 how to create their own websites, games and animations ? and example of how this MSU group works to recruit, support and retain women in computing fields.

With all the great tech programs that MSU offers this event also doubles has a recruiting tool to woo young women into careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) ? career paths that are ripe with possibilities, but suffering from a dearth of job candidates.

This event is more than just a classroom experience.

?Participants also will have a chance to work closely with MSU computer science students, who can talk to them about why this is a great career option for women,? said Teresa Isela VanderSloot, the academic advisor in the MSU Department of Computer Science and Engineering. She is an active proponent of STEM education.

She noted that the current large demand for programmers in the job market will continue to grow in the years to come.

?I encourage parents to bring their daughters to MSU and let us teach them the basics while we surround them with women in computing who are very excited about this incredible field,? she said.

The event will be a win-win for everyone involved. The high school girls will get a free chance to experience technology in a college setting with young, passionate students. Meanwhile, the volunteers from the Women in Computing group will be able to practice leadership and maybe even help shape the future.

The event is free and runs from 10 AM to 2 PM in Room 3105, of the MSU Engineering Building, 428 S. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, Mich. Please register with Caitlin McDonald at [email protected].

The Michigan State University College of Engineering has six departments, 200 faculty members, more than 4,200 undergraduate and 700 graduate students. The college supports a strong research portfolio with a strategic vision focused on five major crosscutting areas: energy, health, materials, security and sustainability.

Associate Editor Nicole Johnson leads MITechNews.Com?s efforts to foster STEM education, as well as provides coverage for her fellow women in computing. If you have a story idea for Nicole, email [email protected]