H.E.R Network (Hard-work Earns Respect)
The H.E.R Network (Hard-work Earns Respect) is a comprehensive program under the A.C.T. Institute that places equal emphasis on career development and athletic excellence for young female athletes. It’s designed to not only build elite basketball talent but also to provide girls with the skills and opportunities needed to succeed in rapidly expanding fields like IT and Cybersecurity. The program recognizes that excelling in sports and preparing for a successful career off the court are equally important.
Purpose:
Dual Development Focus: The H.E.R Network prepares girls for success in both basketball and their future careers. Just as the Full Stack Development program nurtures well-rounded development in tech, the H.E.R Network ensures participants are equipped for both their athletic journey and professional life, emphasizing career pathways in IT and cybersecurity alongside basketball training.
Key Goals:
1. Career Development and Lifelong Success:
The program prioritizes preparing participants for life beyond sports by providing mentorship and career training in IT and cybersecurity. These fields offer dynamic and lucrative career opportunities, and the H.E.R Network seeks to close the gender gap in tech by introducing girls to these sectors early, helping them develop a passion for technology while they pursue basketball.
2. Bridging the Gap in Girls’ Basketball:
While career development is crucial, the H.E.R Network also aims to reduce the disparity between boys’ and girls’ basketball, specifically in access to high-level training and competition. With a 5-to-1 ratio of programs favoring boys, the H.E.R Network is committed to closing that gap by offering the same robust opportunities for girls in basketball.
3. Promoting Girls’ Basketball and Competitive Growth:
The program nurtures elite players from a young age, with the long-term goal of elevating girls’ basketball to greater visibility and competitiveness, benefiting the sport at all levels. By developing more elite youth talent, it helps contribute to a stronger, more popular future for women’s basketball, while simultaneously setting girls up for success in STEM careers.
Holistic Approach:
The H.E.R Network doesn’t just build athletes, it builds leaders. Whether on the court or in the tech industry, participants are prepared to excel through a wellrounded approach that includes:
- Rigorous Basketball Training: Creating competitive players who can represent at higher levels.
- STEM Exposure and Education: Encouraging young women to explore and thrive in tech, an industry where they are currently underrepresented. This dual focus ensures that participants leave the program not only as stronger basketball players but also as empowered young women ready to succeed in the fast-paced, competitive world of technology.
- Purpose: The H.E.R Network is the girls’ basketball program within ACT Institute, designed with a dual focus on athletic excellence and career development, similar to Full Stack Development . However, it places a strong emphasis on addressing and reducing the disparity between opportunities available in girls’ and boys’ basketball.
Key Goals:
- Bridging the Gap: The program aims to narrow the significant disparity between girls’ and boys’ basketball, particularly in terms of access to robust training, leagues, and tournaments. This disparity is reflected in the approximate 5-1 ratio of basketball programs between boys and girls basketball, which the H.E.R Network seeks to reduce.
- Promoting Girls’ Basketball: By developing more elite-level youth players, the program hopes to contribute to a more competitive and popular girls’ basketball scene, ultimately helping to elevate the game at all levels—from youth leagues to professional ranks.
- Holistic Development: Like Full Stack Development , H.E.R Network provides mentorship and career training in IT and Cybersecurity, ensuring that participants are well-prepared for life beyond sports.
- Focus on Competitive Growth: The H.E.R Network aspires to create a more competitive and attractive product in women’s basketball by nurturing talent from a young age, which in turn can lead to greater recognition and popularity for women’s basketball in the future, while also addressing the disparity in female representation in the field of cyber security by incentivizing young ladies to pursue this expanding competitive field.