Work in progress - adopt a school - the foundation of a long-term outreach effort

A glaring problem in undergraduate computer science programs is the lack of females and members of certain ethnic minority groups. This problem is compounded by the fact that many faculty members and departments are unable to devote much time or financial resources towards outreach efforts. This paper presents a model for a long-term outreach effort that is enabled by ldquoadoptingrdquo a local K-8 School. This model enables a department to participate in effective outreach activities with a minimal time commitment. Additionally, this model provides tremendous educational and financial benefits to the partner school with little, if any, financial obligation on the part of the sponsoring department. While the scope of this project is relatively small compared to many outreach efforts, it is appropriate for departments that lack the time or financial means to launch a large-scale program.