High schoolers to graduate from UW's IT Academy

Madison, Wis. - Employers who wonder where their future technologists will come from, take heart.

Fourteen Madison area high school students soon will graduate from an intensive information technology training program offered through the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Information Technology Academy.

ITA is a four-year pre-college program that provides hands-on training and access to technology for talented students of color and economically disadvantaged students attending Madison public schools.

During their four-year ITA experience, the students meet biweekly during the academic year to learn Web design, animation, graphic design, and other technology skills.

All of this year's graduating class members are going to attend higher education institutions this fall. To date, 51 students have graduated from ITA, and 49 of them are now enrolled at UW-Madison or other postsecondary educational institutions. Additional funding has enabled ITA to launch an expansion that will double the size of the program by the 2009-2010 school year.

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