FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chris Starr, Director of Marketing and Community Outreach The Peck School | 247 South Street | Morristown, NJ 07960 (973) 539-8660 | cstarr@peckschool.org www.peckschool.org
Morristown Girls Who Code Club Explores “Enhanced Reality” MORRISTOWN, NJ. Members of the Morristown Girls Who Code Club at The Peck School had a particularly interesting gathering this week. Thanks to a special visit by experts from Accenture, they had the opportunity to experience Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) using immersive technologies from Samsung, Google Cardboard, Microsoft and more. Serena Peirson, Manager of Accelerated R&D Services at Accenture in Florham Park, is the volunteer facilitator who oversees the Girls Who Code Club, which meets every week at the school. She coordinated the evening with colleagues from other divisions at the company. “It was so exciting to see our girls engaging with these high technologies, but also getting the opportunity to meet my colleagues, who are all successful women in the tech industry,” said Peirson. Students were invited to test drive applications such as going on a hologram scavenger hunt, building a virtual Lego tower, diving into a water molecule, exploring US National Parks, shopping for a car, and learning about careers at Accenture in virtual reality. They were also given a presentation on the potential for these emerging technologies and the subtle differences between the variations of enhanced reality. Accenture has a strong commitment to corporate citizenship and has been a partner with Girls Who Code in seeking to close the gender gap in technology. The goal is to triple the number of women in computing by 2025. Peirson has been generously volunteering her time to facilitate the class at Peck, and she was joined in the enhanced reality exploration by Jennifer Stefanowicz, Associate Manager of Workplace Business Operations, Skylar Seidenberg, Consulting Senior Analyst, and Neha Tyagi, Associate Manager for Business & Integration Architecture. The Girls Who Code initiative was started in in 2012 as a free summer immersion program and has blossomed into a nationwide phenomenon. Today, over 8000 students participate in clubs throughout the school year in the United States. The Peck School’s Girls Who Code Club is open to motivated 6 – 8th grade students throughout the region. The 2016-17 club year will end on May 15th, but applications are being accepted for attendance in the 2017-18 Club which will launch in October of 2017. Contact cstarr@peckschool.org for additional information. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - The Peck School is the northern New Jersey Kindergarten through eighth grade independent school where timeless traditions meet timely transformation. Peck’s carefully crafted nine-year continuum creates a nurturing environment enriched by enduring values and shaped by the customs of a gentler and more gracious age. Within this small-scaled close-knit community students feel known and valued, embrace kindness, explore ethical inquiry, develop dynamic empathy, and grow prodigiously as learners and leaders – all without growing up too soon. Learn more at www.peckschool.org, or call our Admissions office at 973-539-8660 x 108.