University of Washington News, 4/20/2000 (Ann Robinson)

Making life compute: Volunteers spend weekends helping minority students learn computing skills at the University of Washington. Since January, volunteers with Black Data Processing Associates, a national non-profit organization, have been meeting with local high school and middle school students, providing them with a forum in which to nurture computer skills. The students are designing Web pages, programming in VISUAL BASIC, learning various hardware and software applications and gaining in-depth knowledge about the history of computing. Progress has often been remarkable, says Ann Robinson, founder of the local BDPA chapter.

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Microsoft Press Room, 11/1/1999 (Kristi Torgrimson, Ian Heisser, George Williams, Santiago Rodriguez, Pat Coleman, Chester Grice)

Microsoft, BDPA Reach Out to Minority Communities. When Kristi Torgrimson started participating in a computer training camp at Microsoft in preparation for a national high-school computer competition sponsored by Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), she was a pretty quiet kid. But it wasn't long before her instructors began to see changes in Kristi. Over the course of two summer sessions, she became more outgoing, more confident, and she even obtained a high-school internship at Microsoft. Kristi has twice been selected to be one of four students on the team representing the Seattle BDPA Chapter at the national competition. She still keeps in touch with one of her Microsoft instructors -- by e-mail, of course.

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AllBusiness.com, 6/1/1999 (Ann Robinson)

Linking diversity initiatives: a high-tech network in Seattle is causing a positive chain. "I think employers are comparing notes during the meetings, but it's happening on a very informal level," says Ann Robinson, an organizational advisor, people focus team for the computing and network operations of The Boeing Co. "It's not the main reason employers choose to get involved with the PTDN, but when you get several HR professionals together, they're bound to start talking about their work." Robinson also serves as a volunteer leader of the Seattle Chapter of the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) and says the different professional organizations have benefited from the PTDN in several different ways.

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