What is STARS?
STARS (Students & Technology in Academia, Research, & Service) is an alliance of dedicated and engaged young professionals who work with the community to increase the participation of the under-represented in IT/computing disciplines.
The FSU STARS Alliance is organized around and serves to contribute to three main goals:
- Increase representation of women, under-represented minorities, and persons with disabilities in the IT & communication fields.
- Educate and bring awareness to children and young adults in grades K-12 about computing practices, including proper program usage, education programs, careers, and service.
- Develop and prepare Florida State students to step up and become pillars of both the IT & communication fields as well as their community as young professionals and leaders.
What the Stars Alliance has done
FSU’s STARS has won numerous awards for its activities, which include both local (in Leon county) and statewide efforts. FSU STARS students have promoted CCI at various schools in Tallahassee, Tampa, Ft. Myers, Sebring, Bradenton, Orlando, Melbourne, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Panama City, and Marianna.
In addition to presenting to these middle and high schools about information technology and communication professions, STARS has:
- Judged competitions in the areas of technology and communication.
- Judged leadership, technology and communication workshops at the Florida Technology Student Association Conference.
- Mentored K-12 students technology clubs around the state.
- Conducted communication, leadership, and career training at the Florida Technology Student Association Leadership Conference
- Produced videos on the impact of STARS – SLC and the information technology and communication profession.
- Presented at the Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC)
- Hosted schools from Panama City, Pensacola, Marianna, Lake City, Wakulla, and Tallahassee
- Visited companies to develop job/internship pipeplines
- Sent CCI students to events in NYC, Tampa, and Atlanta to attend industry events
- Sent a group of students to Puerto Rico to engage in an entreprenuership exchange
- Hosted companies at FSU
- Hosted a Women in Leadership Conference (now in its 4th year)
- Facilitated company visits for our students in Tampa, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Orlando and Atlanta
What you can help the Stars Alliance do
You can help Florida State and STARS reach more students and promote our programs around the state with your donations. By supporting the transportation needs of STARS members, you can help reach children and young adults through mentorships, presentations, workshops, conferences, and clubs. Your support allows us to further develop our employer pipeline and showcase our top students to national employers.
Your support for STARS is critical to ensure that our students build the communication, teamwork, and leadership skills needed for successful careers in information technology and communication.
This past Fall (2016), STARS conducted 123 activities, devoting 264 hours of actual event time to reach 4133 students.