America On Tech Announces its 2020 - 2021 Program Plans

Today America On Tech (AOT) announces its plans for the 2020 - 2021 school year in NYC and Los Angeles from September 1, 2020 - May 31, 2021. AOT is not putting a pause on its mission to prepare the next generation of technology leaders. In light of recent events, we are more than ever fueled by our passion to ensure underestimated students in the communities we serve have access to equitable pathways to engage in the tech and innovation sector. ​

We are prioritizing public health and the safety of our students and families during this time and will be virtual until December 31, 2020. Read about how AOT is navigating virtual and distance work here. In November, AOT will conduct an evaluation on whether or not it would be safe for us to return to our offices January 2021. 

The following outlines our 2020 - 2021 plans for NYC:

• 140 students in our Tech Flex Leaders Program: Last week we virtually welcomed a class of 140 high school juniors and seniors in our year-long, out of school time technology education and training program. From September - June, students will be participating in weekly technology classes focused on front-end and back-end web development and design. These courses are being taught by volunteer technologists. The students who successfully complete this program will complete a portfolio of projects that will demonstrate their mastery of the skills they have learned with AOT and be eligible for AOT’s paid internship and work-place experience programs in summer 2021. Tech Flex Leaders will also participate in a demo day competition in December 2020 and a showcase in May 2021. 

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• 250 students in our TECH360 Program: This school year AOT will enroll 250 high school sophomores and juniors in our introductory web design course. During Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, students will be participating in a 10-week web design course that introduces them to concepts in coding and computer science. The course will be taught by volunteer technologists and the program will end in a virtual student showcase in December 2020 and May 2021. 

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• 24 AOT alums hired as Peer Mentors: This school year we are committed to continuing to provide meaningful employment opportunities to our alumni. A few weeks ago we hired and on-boarded 24 AOT alums who will be with us this school year as peer mentors and teaching assistants. 

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• 22 students in our Forbes <> AOT Writing Pilot Program: This year we’ve partnered with a team of Forbes writers who will support our students in the development of their personal statements - a critical component of the college application process.  Through a series of 4 virtual sessions, 22 high school seniors enrolled in our Tech Flex Leaders program will work 1:1 with a Forbes staff writer to finalize a personal statement that they can leverage as they pursue degrees in technology.

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• 40 students to enroll in TECH360 through Youth Design Center Partnership: In continuing our partnership with the Youth Design Center, we will enroll 40 students into a 10-week computer science program modeled after AOT’s TECH360 curriculum.  The focus of this program will be tech entrepreneurship and students will be encouraged to build websites for their own business ventures.

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• Various Virtual Career Days: Though in-person experiences are limited by current circumstances, AOT is committed to ensuring that our students are able to receive a number of industry-focused events. We’re partnering with several corporations, including NBCUniversal, Mizuho, FactSet, Capital One, and Accenture to ensure that we’re able to connect young people to professionals in the field.

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• Launch of Affinity Groups: Keeping on our commitment to equity, we’re launching AOT Affinity Groups. This is a program for Black and Latinx high school students that addresses issues of race and gender that commonly occur in the 21st century workplace and beyond. The program will use an intersectional professional development approach, meaning they are professional development sessions that consider the various oppressed identities of our students. 

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         If you’re interested in participating in an upcoming panel discussion, let us know here! 
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• 500 NYC Alumni to be engaged virtually through events: Building on our commitments to alums, we will be rolling out a series of alumni initiatives that will engage 500 AOT alums this school year. This includes internship placement, job placement, industry-focused events, brokering scholarship opportunities and a myriad of other initiatives. ​
  
  

The following outlines our 2020 - 2021 plans for LA: 

• 150 students enrolled in our Web Development Program: In August 2020, we virtually welcomed a class of 150 high school students in our year-long web development course. From August - June, students will be participating twice a week in technology classes focused on front-end and back-end web development and design. The students who successfully complete this program will complete a portfolio of projects that will demonstrate their mastery of the skills they have learned with us and be eligible for our paid internship and work-place experience programs in summer 2021. Students will participate in a demo day competition in December 2020 and a showcase in May 2021. 

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• 20 students participating in our STEM special education program: A few weeks ago we announced a new partnership with STEM Preparatory Schools (STEM Prep), a not-for-profit organization that operates public charter schools in Los Angeles, California. Through the implementation of AOT's comprehensive curriculum, this strategic alliance will support 21st century learning for students with disabilities at STEM Prep in 9th and 11th grade through STEM learning labs. The pilot will run Spring 2021. This work is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Charter Students with Disabilities Pilot Community Initiative. Read more here.

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• Various Virtual Career Days: Similar to NYC, we’re partnering with several corporations to ensure that we’re able to connect young people to professionals in the field. These events are taking place various dates and times throughout the school year. 

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• Launch of LA Speaker Series: AOT is launching a speaker series for our LA classrooms this school year. Sessions will be recorded and shared for public viewing with other students in the AOT network. 

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• Workshops and After School Programs: AOT is launching a series of virtual workshops and after school activities this school year for LA high school students that will mirror our TECH360 and Tech Flex Leaders programs in NYC. More to come!