From left are Mai Duong and Nabaa Ahmed collaborate on coding during the Winter 2025 Java Boot Camp held earlier this year at Georgia Gwinnett College. Photo by Daniel Melograna/Georgia Gwinnett College.
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) received a $200,000 grant from Google.org, the company’s philanthropy, that will ensure the continuation of its Empowering Women in Tech bootcamp. The program, which has been inspiring students for the past decade, equips women with vital tech skills and fosters a vibrant community of future leaders. College officials say it’s a significant step forward in bridging the gender gap in technology and empowering the next generation of innovators.
Jennifer Hendrickson, associate vice president of Advancement and president of the GGC Foundation, says: “This transformative gift will help us continue encouraging women to pursue careers in technology. These bootcamps are designed to give women a well-rounded opportunity to expand their skills and career opportunities.”
Studies have found that having more women in technology careers is beneficial
for organizations. One study shows that closing the gender gap in the technology field could add an estimated $12 trillion to the global gross domestic product by the year 2025. But according to the 2024 Skillsoft Women in Tech Report, only 25 percent of the tech workforce are women. The study also found that the results of a lack of diversity can limit an organization’s ability to solve complex problems and stifle creativity.
“With this grant, we can expand our bootcamps from twice a year to five times a year,” said Dr. Hyesung Park, associate professor of information technology. “Each bootcamp builds upon that sense of camaraderie and a sense of belonging for women pursuing an IT career. They go beyond the technical skills they learn to include insights from invited tech leaders, who will share their career path and experiences, offering valuable guidance to help participants plan their own academic and career journeys.”
The goal, said Park, is to recruit 400 women to attend these bootcamps, which will begin in January 2025.
Snellville plans hearing on opting out of HB 581
The City of Snellville will host three public hearings related to House Bill (HB) 581 passed by the Georgia legislature earlier this year.
The change in law, which was contingent on a statewide referendum vote that passed in November 2024, implements a statewide floating homestead exemption designed to offset or reduce increases in taxable value to residential property with a valid homestead exemption. It is also referred to as a base-year or value offset exemption. House Bill 581 also enacts procedural changes in property tax administration and provides for a potential new local option sales tax.
Entities that levy a property tax may opt out of the exemption after holding at least three public hearings and filing a resolution with the Secretary of State by March 1, 2025.
Public hearings for the City of Snellville to receive input from residents will be held at city hall on these dates:
- Monday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m.;
- Thursday, January 30 at 6:30 p.m.; and
- Monday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m.
More information about the public hearings can be found at snellville.org. More information about HB 581 can be found at gacities.com/Legislative-Session/Bill/HB581.
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