Background
Northwest College serves the Bighorn basin in Wyoming and nearby south central Montana, rural farming and ranching communities in cowboy country that are very traditional. Powell, the town where the college is located, has a population of only 5700 and the closest city, Cody, founded by "Wild West" Buffalo Bill Cody, has a population of 9,000. Cody is the Eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Tourism is another major industry in the area. The school serves approximately 1500 students who have an average age of 21, 56% of the full-time freshmen class is female, and about two-thirds of the students are enrolled full-time. Northwest College offers an Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems, and students in this program are required to enroll in one of three tracks. The Network Technician track requires successful completion of the Cisco Networking curriculum.

The Numbers
The Cisco Networking Academy Program was brought to the College by the Workforce Alliance Center. In September of 2001, Northwest College conducted its first Academy Program and had 100% female enrollment with a total of 4 students. Since that time, there have been five Academy classes with a total of 49 students, 37% of whom have been female. Female students have an 89% retention rate in the Academy, the same ratio as the combined male and female retention. The first Academy class will graduate in May 2002.

How did Northwest College Networking Academy program successfully recruit and retain high school girls into Information Technology (IT) classes in this rural community?

Recruitment
The Academy's Director attributes the high enrollment of female students in the Academy to tworeasons:

• The Networking Academy program is offered through the college's Workforce Alliance Center as well as the NWC Business Department. The Business Department adopted the Cisco curriculum, thereby providing this opportunity to degree-seeking female students who might not have otherwise considered it an option for themselves and
• all five of the Academy instructors are female, and thus, serve as role models who promote this opportunity in their respective locations throughout the Big Horn Basin. Recruitment for the Academy is done via the Business Program and the Workforce Alliance Center, along with presentations to the local Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs and the American Association of University Women.

Prerequisites
Students enter into the Academy Program with the consent of the instructor using the Cisco prerequisite criteria of basic computer and literacy skills. This criteria is measured through college placement testing. Some computer knowledge and vocabulary is highly recommended to help ensure that the student will be successful in the program.

Success in the Classroom

"Women in Wyoming see Networking as an important opportunity to advance in a state that is still very traditional." -Marla Musico, Workforce Training Assistant and Instructor

Ms. Musico attributes her College's very good retention rate to:

• The motivation of the students to acquire valuable skills for today's job market;
• Small classes and personalized attention for the students;
• Highly motivated faculty who are female role models;
• A required internship at the end of the first year that provides students with 1 to 6 credits and between 40 to 80 hours of practical hands-on experience with employers. Internships include employers such as TCTWest and RTI -- both telephone and communications companies who use Cisco Routers. Students have had the opportunity to intern in area school districts and the college computer services department. Employers in Wyoming are hungry for students with computer skills.
  

Contact
Marla Musico
Workforce Training Assistant and Instructor
Northwest College
231 West Sixth Street
Powell, Wyoming 82414
Musicom@nwc.cc.wy.us
307-754-6214

School Web site
http://www.nwc.cc.wy.us