Advocacy
Legislative Agenda
WhyITNow.org advocates meet with State Schools Chief Jack O’Connell during a WhyITNow.org sponsored California Capitol visit.
WhyITNow.org and Information Technology (IT) advocates work tirelessly to educate policy decision makers and elected officials about the importance of IT and New Media at the states Capitol in California, and encourages key contacts and lawmakers to support critical IT and Career Technical Education (CTE) initiatives.
Awareness and Education
March is Information Technology (IT) Awareness Month
March 2011 marks the date for Information Technology (IT) Month in California. Both the Assembly and the Senate can introduce California Resolutions supporting IT Awareness Month and its goals. Making sure your members of the legislature cosponsor this legislation ensures that they are familiar with the IT community and its needs.
Legislative Activities
Over many years, actions on behalf of IT Professionals, principals at WhyITNow.org have included various activities in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. We are continually monitoring and participating in areas important to Information Technology community.
Working With Stakeholders
The WhyITNow.org initiative, established to promote jobs, innovation and education excellence announced last week top leadership at the Santa Clara County CA Office of Education, as well as a local Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher and student, were recently honored for their innovation in the classroom and educational CTE program by the California based not-for-profit association for Web professionals and its WhyITNow.org initiative.
County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis, Ph.D. was recognized by the WhyITNow.org initiative established to promote jobs, IT innovation and education excellence for his innovation and vision shown in launching the county’s CTE program in fall 2009. Less than a year after its inception, the program has inspired countless students – including Diane Keng. The student at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, CA and her CTE marketing instructor Carl Schmidt were also honored by the WhyITNow.org initiative for their information technology innovations.
In December 2010, Bill Cullifer, Executive Director for the Webprofessionals.org organization and the WhyITNow.org initiative was invited to participate in the 21st Annual CALCP/CAROCP CTE Conference in Southern California. In addition to participating as a keynote speaker Cullifer sat in on several sessions and interviewed several of the participants. The benefits of participating in this event included introducing ideas on establishing and strengthening partnerships in California, introducing the WhyITNow.org and the WhyCTE.org initiatives to a sizable group of California education stakeholders, Cullifer also has an improved understanding the role of CTE from the perspective of those that participated.
In October 2010, the WhyITNow.org initiative will host an IT Innovation Summit to focus on Innovation, IT Jobs and Education for California in partnership with DeAnza Community College. The Keynote speaker for the event is Judy Estrin, one of the most respected women within IT and author of “Closing the Innovation Gap” a fitting topic for the times in a college setting in the heart of the Silicon Valley, CA.
In July 22, 2010 WhyITNow co-sponsored
Getting the Gold: California Conference Leads the Way workshop with leading Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSO), education professionals and Information Technology representatives gathering together at a roundtable to explore how to improve student outcomes in California. The goal of the event is to explore how to best support students in the classroom and to empower them with leadership and career skills to ensure success in a global economy. The roundtable was held in conjunction with the 2010 Career Technical Student Organization Enrichment Conference taking place in Sacramento, CA on August 2nd-4th, 2010. California’s Career Technical Student Organizations offer services to 2.5 million students and their teachers and administrators interested in learning more about and promoting Career Technical Education (CTE) in California.
Throughout the year the WhyITNow.org initiative reaches out to interview and survey the IT Industry and its thought leaders to validate its mission and to gauge why innovation and why IT matters to business, industry and our economy. To that end, Bill Cullifer, WhyITNow.org initiative chair has interviewed a number of notable subject matter experts including Judy Estrin, author of “Closing the Innovation Gap” – “Reigniting the Spark of Creativity in Global Economy” and former Chief Technology Officer for Crisco Systems.
The WhyITNow.org initiative launched the IT Innovators award to recognize and award leading IT Innovators within industry, education and government that demonstrate continuous improvement, incremental innovation, transformational innovation.
IT and New Media Roundtable – Orange County
Leading information technology (IT) and education professionals in early 2010 at a public roundtable discussion to explore the challenges facing California’s IT and New Media employment and education sectors. The goal of the roundtable is to determine how best to develop and promote education pathways and job market strategies while supporting beneficial uses of IT, New Media and innovation in California. The roundtable event was held in conjunction with the Educating for Careers conference taking place Orange County, CA February 28 –March 2, 2010. The conference attracted over 2200 high school teachers and administrators interested in learning more about and promoting Career Technical Education (CTE) in California.
In April of 2010, the WhyITNow.org initiative launched the “Mobile Innovators Challenge” announcing Team “Free Gifts” as Gold Medal Winner of the annual event.
Team “Free Gifts” walked away with “Best of Show” at the University California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) Pomona, CA event.
The WhyITNow.org initiative launched a WhyCTE.org education campaign to promote Why Career Technical Education featuring thousands of daily news items, videos and one on one interviews regarding Why CTE is important providing rigor, relevancy and relationships. WhyCTE.org supports teachers as well as career and college bound students, life long learning and opportunities in all aspects of CTE education.
In mid year, the WhyITNow.org initiative introduced a series comprehensive programs and web resources to promote general IT and New Media education and awareness. Resources that feature thousands of daily IT and New Media news clips, free training videos, financial aid resources, one on one interviews regarding a host of IT and New Media topics including a list of IT and New Media jobs, tips on how to land and keep them. Web resources provide relevant, timely and cutting edge resources for students, teachers, administrators and parents interested in IT and New Media.
IT and New Media Career Exploration Resources
New Media Careers.
Web Professional Careers
WhyITNow.org
Career Technical Education (CTE)
Why Career Technical Education CTE)
IT and New Media Training Resources
IT and New Media Degree Educational Pathway Resources
New Media Degrees
Web Design Degrees
Web Development Degrees
Web Engineering Degrees
IT and New Media Job Resources
Web Development Jobs
New Media Jobs
Green IT Jobs
Web Professional Jobs
IT and New Media Curriculum Resources
Web Developer Curriculum
Web Design Curriculum
On Innovation and Awards for Students, Teachers, Administrators and Industry
Mobile Innovators
IT Innovators
IT Innovation Summit Series
Industry Standards Resources
Additional outreach
WhyITNow.org Announces IT Innovation Awards at Ohlone College Fremont, CA Leading Information Technology (IT) professionals, organizations, educators received recognition for IT innovations that transform education and innovation in California. Awards were announced at the 10th annual Silicon Valley Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT) competition.
Back in August of 2010 Bill Cullifer, Executive Director for the not-for-profit membership supported WebProfessionals.org organization was approached by the California Department of Education (CDE) in Sacramento with a request to head up the IT and New Media Cluster efforts to support IT and New Media education and jobs for California. As a result, Cullifer reviewed the various publications the state has published relation to the State Plan, the California Community College Chancellors plan, the California Regional Occupation (CAROP) plan and the Little Hoover Commission analysis of Career Technical Education (CTE) in California. Cullifer also serves as committee member to the Business Education Resource Group (BERG) and to the CAROP group serving 2.5 million CTE students in California.
Working With the Department of Education in Washington D.C.
ONET Report
ONet Resources for the Web Developer
The WOW organization working with business and industry, various Departments of Education and Labor has worked diligently for the last decade to establish guidelines for the Web administrator, Webmaster, Web Developer and other Web professional titles. ONet Website.
Advocacy Activities
Advocates Travel to Sacramento for IT Awareness Month
March 2011 Advocates will Gather on the Steps of the California Capitol
On Monday, March 1st and Tuesday, March 2nd, Information Technology and Career Technology (CTE) advocates will meet in Sacramento for the 2011 WhyITNow.org Advocacy Day. This two-day event featured a networking dinner, comprehensive advocacy training sessions, and meetings with congressional offices to advance the legislative agenda on behalf of IT and jobs for California.
Advocates will meet at the California Capitol for a breakfast and a review of how to make an effective legislative visit. While meeting with legislative offices, advocates will urge their Members of the Legislature to support the following critical issues:
• To remain competitive in a global economy and to ensure prosperity we must be innovative to create and retain jobs here at home.
• To build and promote IT literacy into general education curriculum in order to equip all graduates with these basic skills.
• To focus on promoting IT occupation diversity by serving under-represented groups, difficult to reach populations and non-traditional learning organizations including women and minorities.
Thanks to the hard work and outreach of advocates, progress is being made in all of these areas on behalf of Information Technology.
WhyITNow.org conducts advocacy activities all year long. If you are interested in telling legislators Information Technology and CTE and enlisting their support, or participating in coordinated events with other advocates, such as Advocacy Day, please contact WhyITNow.org Bill Cullifer Executive Director
Be an Advocate
What does it mean to be an advocate?
Advocates are people who speak out about something they believe in on behalf of themselves and/or others. Through WhyITNow.org, outreach to Members of the Legislature and Congress informs policymakers about IT and CTE issues and how they can take meaningful action.
IT and CTE advocacy through WhyITNow.org brings concerned parties together to ensure that we carry clear, impactful messages. Adding your voice to this growing chorus helps expand critical research, initiate important legislation, and facilitate improvements within IT and CTE. It can be as simple as sending an email or making a call to a legislative office.
Become an IT and or CTE advocate
Here’s What You Can Do – It’s Easy To Get Started
Identify yourself as a IT and or CTE advocate, and begin receiving information from WhyITNow.org about current and upcoming legislative efforts . . .
E-mail Bill Cullifer at bill@whyitnow.org.
In the e-mail include your name, address with zip code, and a brief description of your interest in IT and or CTE.
Advocates tell their stories
Here are the experiences of people experiencing the benefits of IT and CTE everyday. Through WhyITNow.org and IT and CTE advocacy they have put their hopes for change into action.
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