This paper reports on a specific promotional initiative designed to spur enrollment in IT-related fields—an IT Careers Camp aimed at high school students. The camp was different from most prior computer camps in that it was not aimed at building skills such as programming or Web development. Rather, it was specifically designed to convince participants that (1) job prospects in the field are strong, and (2) IT/IS work is interesting and creative. To this end, the camp was designed in partnership with a number of corporations, and included as a central element a series of experiential opportunities for participants. Each day of the camp featured a visit to a corporation where the students took part in a hands-on activity that involved solving a business problem with IT. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations indicate that the camp was very successful in changing students' perceptions about the nature of IT work and the IT job market. We believe the camp can be a useful tool to create a pipeline of well-informed students interested in IT careers. We present here details of the design and execution of the camp in the hope that others may wish to replicate our efforts.
Providing profitable online content has been an elusive goal, challenging many companies such as the New York Times, Disney/ABC/ESPN, and Microsoft/Slate. Charging for content has been hit-or-miss, attributable to a lack of generally applicable models of information value. Previous studies in the management information systems literature emphasized extrinsically motivated content (addressing tangible gains), while many sites target intrinsic goals such as entertainment or education. This study examines potential factors influencing willingness to pay for intrinsically motivated online content. Data from 392 college students indicate that even when analyzing content whose potential rewards are intangible and nonquantifiable, potential consumers focus on "expected benefits" as the main antecedent for willingness to pay. Other antecedents, such as perceived quality and provider reputation, only affected willingness to pay indirectly through expected benefits. Researchers are offered a baseline model for future study, and practitioners are advised to provide initial visitors a clear message about benefits of use to entice them to pay for content.