TPF4Y Receives Grant from Salesforce.org to Accelerate STEM Initiatives

TechPoint Foundation for Youth today announced a grant from Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of Salesforce, that will support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming for students typically underrepresented in today’s STEM fields.

As the leader in technology education efforts for Indiana since 2001, TechPoint Foundation for Youth (TPF4Y) is committed to inspiring the state’s K-12 students to explore STEM fields, with a focus on diversifying the STEM workforce pipeline through targeted outreach to underrepresented student populations. Three initiatives are currently managed by the foundation, including the City of Indianapolis’ US2020 program, CoderDojo Indiana, and the State Robotics Initiative. The Salesforce.org grant will support both the US2020 program and the CoderDojo Indiana initiative.

“Our goal is to help nonprofits and educational institutions better serve their communities and deliver on their mission,” said Ebony Frelix, SVP of Philanthropy & Engagement at Salesforce.org. “By supporting TechPoint Foundation for Youth’s exciting STEM initiatives, we hope to accelerate change and create a better tomorrow for the next generation.”

US2020, a national movement focused on increasing the number of STEM professionals serving as mentors, hosted its inaugural city competition in 2013 and announced Indianapolis as one of seven winning cities from among 52 applicants across the country. TPF4Y is the coalition lead for the City of Indianapolis and, with the support of more than 50 corporate and community partners, has connected over 1,500 students to more than 7,700 hours of hands-on STEM programs during the first 2.5 years of the initiative.

The most popular of Indianapolis’ US2020 programs, CoderDojo, is a coding club that allows students to explore the world of computer science (CS) through hands-on activities, games, and self-led projects. In June 2016, TPF4Y launched CoderDojo Indiana, in partnership with the CoderDojo Foundation, to increase access to free CS education for Hoosier students. On July 22, 2017, CoderDojo Indiana will host its inaugural Hackathon, inviting all of its Indianapolis student “ninjas,” as well as attendees from 19 additional CoderDojos throughout the state of Indiana, to participate in a daylong event filled with fun, competitive CS projects.

“Salesforce.org’s commitment to philanthropy and the Pledge 1% program is inspiring,” said Laura Dodds, Executive Director of TechPoint Foundation for Youth. “We are thrilled to put their investment to work for thousands of K-12 students.”

TPF4Y welcomes the support of additional volunteers interested in facilitating CoderDojo clubs as well as other STEM programs like robotics teams and science clubs. If you or your company are interested in making a positive impact on students in your community, contact Volunteer@TechPointYouth.org for more information.

About TechPoint Foundation For Youth
In its 16th year as the leader in technology education efforts for the state of Indiana, TechPoint Foundation for Youth is committed to providing our state’s K-12 students, especially those typically underrepresented in STEM industry, with equal opportunities to explore hands-on STEM learning opportunities. We believe that Indiana’s youth should be not only equipped to address the growing demand for a skilled STEM workforce, but also be inspired to do so. We have been, and continue to be, the leader in connecting youth serving organizations, STEM programs, and STEM industry for the benefit of Indiana’s student populations. We are Growing Indiana’s Future. Visit www.TechPointYouth.org for more information.

About Salesforce.org
Salesforce.org is a nonprofit social enterprise with a mission to empower its community of stakeholders to accelerate impact in a whole new way. It impacts thousands of organizations and the millions of people they serve by delivering the world’s best nonprofit and educational technology solutions at affordable rates. It also inspires employee giving by matching their donations and driving volunteer engagement in the community. And it leverages a unique self-sustaining model to generously re-invest the revenue generated back into the community through strategic grants focused on education and workforce development.

Since 1999, Salesforce technology has powered more than 31,000 nonprofit and education institutions; Salesforce and its philanthropic entities have provided more than $160 million in grants; and Salesforce employees have logged more than 2 million volunteer hours around the world.

Salesforce, Salesforce.org and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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Indiana VEX IQ Elementary State Championship

Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography

On February 25th, more than 95 robotics teams from 38 cities around Indiana competed in the Indiana VEX IQ Elementary State Championship hosted by the State Robotics Initiative. The competition took place at the Campus Center at IUPUI with over 1,500 spectators in attendance. 

The State Robotics Initiative (SRI) launched in 2016 as an expansion of the successful IndyVRC program begun in 2013 by then Mayor Greg Ballard. A partnership between the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, TechPoint Foundation for Youth, Project Lead The Way (PLTW), and Ivy Tech Community College drives the initiative with the goal of bringing robotics to every school in the state of Indiana, beginning with our youngest Hoosiers.

Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography

With significant seed funding secured from Guggenheim Life and Annuity and support from long-time robotics funders USA Funds, Roche Diagnostics and Eli Lilly and Company, the number of elementary VEX IQ robotics teams in Indiana grew 600% during the 2016-17 school year. In 2016, 443 VEX IQ robotics teams were started in 198 cities and towns across Indiana as a result of grants provided by the State Robotics Initiative. Participating schools received robotics kits, registration fees, teacher professional development, and PLTW classroom activities to incorporate robotics during the school day.

Indiana has become a national leader in robotics education for elementary students and is now home to a grand total of 518 VEX IQ elementary teams, 96 of which qualified to compete at the State Championship. The 26 winning teams from State will now move on to the World Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 23-25, 2017. Indiana’s qualifying teams will compete there against 275 teams from more than 20 countries to take home some of the most coveted awards in youth robotics.  

In addition to the championship, TechPoint Foundation for Youth hosted the 4th annual interactive STEM fair with more than 20 booths and over 500 students in attendance. The free event was open to the community and allowed students to experience hands-on, interactive science, math, and technology activities.

State Championship award winners

To learn more about the Statewide Robotics Initiative, visit the their webpage.

5th Annual IndyVRC Robotics Tournament

Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography

On January 7th and 8th, 162 teams of students from around Marion County competed in the 5th Annual City of Indianapolis VEX Robotics Championship (IndyVRC). The competition was held in Nicoson Hall at the University of Indianapolis.

The first IndyVRC featured only 36 high school teams but demonstrated the possibilities of a robust, hands-on STEM education program. Now in its fifth year, the event has grown to more than 160 teams from elementary, middle, and high schools who compete for scholarships to Rose-Hulman, IUPUI, and University of Indianapolis, plus internships, advancement to the state finals, and the competition's top honor: the Ballard Excellence Award, renamed last year in recognition of Former Mayor Greg Ballard's contribution to STEM education in Indianapolis.

Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography

The IndyVRC’s success led to the newly formed Statewide Robotics Initiative, spearheaded by TechPoint Foundation for Youth with major support from funders and partners like Guggenheim Life and Annuity, Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Project Lead The Way, USA Funds, Eli Lilly and Company, and Roche Diagnostics. The two-year initiative will supply grants to 800 elementary schools throughout Indiana, giving them a robotics kit, teacher training, classroom activities, program support, and high intensity compeititons.

Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography

“Seeing so many Indiana students with access to a robotics team is truly a realization of Former Mayor Ballard’s dream when he first initiated the IndyVRC back in 2013,” said Laura Dodds, Executive Director of TechPoint Foundation for Youth. “The event started as a way to get robots into the hands of all Marion County students, and inspired an initiative that could expand that goal to all Hoosiers.”

Photo by Ellie Sophia Photography

Indianapolis is home to companies in need of a workforce skilled in advanced manufacturing, robotics, and technology, but the education pipeline from grade school to employment is often lacking. The IndyVRC was launched five years ago to accelerate the development of high-quality K-12 educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and help bridge the gap between workforce readiness and employer need. The Statewide Robotics Initiative is continuing to grow this concept on a larger scale, using the same IndyVRC model but starting at the elementary school level with the hope of working up the education ladder.

“The State Robotics Initiative was made possible after a huge kickstart from our partners at Department of Workforce Development and Guggenheim Life and Annuity,” said George Giltner, State Director of Robotics at TechPoint Foundation for Youth. “This initiative has catapulted Indiana into the position of a STEM education leader in our country, with more VEX elementary robotics teams than any other state, and we look forward to seeing how this impacts our future workforce.”

The VEX IQ State Championship is coming up on Saturday, February 25th and is still in need of volunteers - often with no experience required! To look at available positions and sign up, click here.

This year's IndyVRC was a huge success! Here's a look at the event by the numbers...

Awards List

* denotes qualification for the State Championship

Ballard Excellence Award

High School VRC: 6210X Heritage Christian Robotics*
Middle School IQ: 323S Cornerstone Robotics North*
Elementary School IQ: 11106A Pleasant Run Elementary*

Guggenheim Life and Annuity Tournament/Teamwork Champions

High School VRC: 

6210X Heritage Christian Robotics*
6210Z Heritage Christian School*
6078S Speedway High School*

Middle School IQ:

323S Cornerstone Robotics North*
20048A FTMS East - Robotics*

Elementary School IQ: 

10992A Grassy Creek Elementary*
10404A Cold Spring School*

Indiana Workforce Development Design Award

High School VRC: 6842Z Park Tudor Middle School
Middle School IQ: 10272 Paramount School of Excellence*
Elementary School IQ: 10394A Indian Creek Elementary*

Think Award

High School VRC: 6926V Providence Cristo Rey High School
Middle School IQ: 6210A Heritage Christian School
Elementary School IQ: 10990 Sycamore School

Judges Award

High School VRC: 323G Cornerstone Robotics
Middle School IQ: 20048D FTMS East - Robotics
Elementary School IQ: 10714B Center for Inquiry 2

Robot Skills Champion

High School VRC: 6210X Heritage Christian Robotics
Middle School IQ: 323S Cornerstone Robotics North
Elementary School IQ: 10990 Sycamore School

Roche Innovate Award

High School VRC: 7368W Covenant Christian High School

STEM Research Project Award

Middle School IQ: 1024V Fall Creek Valley Middle School*
Elementary School IQ: 10477 Paramount School of Excellence*

Create Award

Middle School IQ: 10775 Sycamore School
Elementary School IQ: 38102X Sidener Academy Redhawk Robotics Grade 3-4

Volunteer of the Year Award

Jessica Cummings, Rolls-Royce

1,160 Students Impacted by Hour of Code!

Three students at Sidener Academy work together on an Hour of Code activity.

Last week, TPF4Y facilitated Hour of Code at three Indianapolis Public Schools in order to celebrate Computer Science Education Week for the third year in a row. CS Ed Week is a worldwide, grassroots campaign to encourage as many K-12 students as possible (with over 323 million served so far!) to participate in an Hour of Code activity. Students around the globe are encouraged to try their hand at coding by completing one of Code.org’s introductory activities. We invited the students we worked with to try CodeCombat (for middle schoolers) and Disney's Moana: Wayfinding with Code (for elementary schoolers).

A student at IPS School #51 is excited to start the Moana Hour of Code activity.

On Monday, December 5th, and Wednesday, December 7th, TPF4Y partnered with Harshman Magnet Middle School, IPS School #51, and Sidener Academy to expose students to the world of computer science. Some of the students had experienced Hour of Code in the past, while it was a new experience for others. 

"Seeing the students gain confidence in their coding skills as they completed each exercise was awesome," said Lindsay Siovaila, a Salesforce employee and co-founder of Girl Develop It - Indianapolis. "In just a short time, these students began to build better problem solving and reasoning skills, and it was cool to be a part of that and help inspire the next generation of computer scientists!"

Lindsay Siovaila, co-founder of Girl Develop It - Indianapolis, works with students on an Hour of Code activity.

Thanks to over 100 volunteers provided by several corporate partners, we were able to impact almost 1,200 IPS students over the course of two days. Our efforts were even featured on Inside Indiana Business with an article and quick video. Click here to check it out.

While Hour of Code has wrapped up for this year, our CoderDojo Indiana initiative is always looking for dedicated volunteers passionate about bringing computer science to underserved students. Currently, there are 20 CoderDojos in Indiana and we are in need of volunteers at several clubs in Indianapolis as well as throughout the state. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering at a CoderDojo club, please complete this form and we'll contact you with more information!

THanks to our Hour of Code partners:

Women in STEM: Tiffany White

Tiffany White
Chief Project Engineer, Helicopters Rolls-Royce

Tiffany White joined Rolls-Royce after graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical - Astronautical Engineering, and has spent 22 years contributing to the propulsion system solutions for more than ten different kinds of aircraft. Currently one of seven Chief Project Engineers in the helicopter business, Tiffany is truly an exemplary woman in STEM.

Tiffany's career path started when, as a junior in high school, she took physics and loved it, even after her mom lovingly suggested that it might be too hard and her uncle told her she couldn't be an engineer because she was a girl. While at first physics did prove difficult, she was able to see the practical applications of the lessons almost immediately. Not a particularly strong player when her church youth group would play pool, the game suddenly made sense and her skills increased when some of her homework used pool balls at the basis of the problems. Her teacher encouraged her to look at engineering careers, and with the popularity of the space shuttle program in the news, she was inspired by the Challenger tragedy in 1986 to improve the safety and ensure the longevity of space travel. In fact, the poster of the Challenger on its launch pad that hung in her dorm room in college is framed and hangs in her office to this day.

Rolls-Royce engineers collaborate over an M250 engine.

Tiffany's earliest roles at Rolls-Royce were in project engineering at the "whole engine" level, which provided her with a broad understanding of gas turbine propulsion. Feeling she lacked any deep functional knowledge, she transferred into control systems, where she spent 10 years becoming an expert on how to control engines while honing her leadership skills with a masters degree in program management. Then, instead of moving straight up the proverbial ladder, she moved laterally and spent time learning everything she could about turbine components and subsystems, making her a stronger engineer with more informed decision-making skills. So when a Chief Project Engineer position unexpectedly became available, she was perfectly positioned with the technical foundation in controls, turbines, and project management as well was the necessary soft skills like leadership and team management. 

Bell 407 helicopters that use the M250 engines.

In her role as Chief Project Engineer, Tiffany serves as the technical authority for the M250 engine, defining engine accomplishments and attributes, serving as the point of contact with customers, ensuring cost and schedule targets, and interfacing with the FAA and foreign and military airworthiness authorities on safety reliability, and certification. M250 engines are used to transport workers to and from oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. They are used to lift huge logs out of the forest instead of cutting roads through the trees. Rolls-Royce helicopters using M250 engines allow electrical linemen to be lowered onto high power lines. They give vacationers a birds eye view of the volcanos of Hawaii, the Smoky Mountains, and the Grand Canyon. They even give Indianapolis commuters an idea of how badly traffic is backed up on I-69 in the mornings via WTHR Channel 13's helicopters. Tiffany's M250 supports products that transport the critically injured to hospitals around the nation and protect U.S. soldiers and sailors around the world. The range of uses and magnitude of their impact make the products she oversees simply fascinating. 

A Kiowa Warrior helicopter that uses an M250 engine.

As a long-time member and 2016-2017 President of Women & Hi Tech, Tiffany has continued to be an engaged role model for women in STEM fields. She concedes that the gender-related drop in self confidence that females face in school often continues into their careers, but encourages women to surround themselves with supportive friends, family, and coworkers. Support can be found in many forms; organizations like Women & Hi Tech provide opportunities to network with other confident successful women and blogs like this one showcase the highly technical and exciting roles women have in the community.

Pike Teachers Go Back to Class for Inaugural Teacher TechConnect Event

INDIANAPOLIS, November 10, 2016 – Teachers help children decide their career paths long before either is focused on it by recognizing aptitudes and encouraging them to focus their studies accordingly. But, if the teachers don’t know the array of career possibilities, it’s impossible for them to give every student the best guidance possible. Local tech leaders’ worry over this issue has led to the creation of a new Indianapolis initiative – Teacher TechConnect.

“Only by working together can businesses and educators solve the technology talent gap problem,” said Jeff Ton, Bluelock executive vice president of Product and Service Development. “The Teacher TechConnect collaboration breaks down the wall between business and the classroom and creates an ongoing, mutually beneficial conversation to fill the talent pipeline with qualified candidates.”  

From 2009 to mid-2015, the U.S. high-tech software and services job sector outpaced all other sectors, growing by more than 730,000 jobs, or 34.4 percent, according to a 2016 CBRE Research survey. Central Indiana ranked 8th in terms of this job growth, at 18 percent.

Indiana workforce experts predict demand for tech employees will continue to exceed supply. The region is projected to add at least 51,500 tech jobs by 2025, but schools are slated to produce only half of the needed credentials and degrees to fill those jobs. At the elementary and secondary school level, technology jobs are currently being created faster than they can be integrated into school curricula. Workforce experts say 65 percent of today’s schoolchildren will be employed in jobs that have yet to be created. Many of these jobs will be in the technology sector.

Ton said it wasn’t difficult for Bluelock, a disaster recovery services provider, to find partners for Teacher TechConnect. Angie’s List, TechPoint Foundation for Youth, Pike High School and others were quick to sign on for the event, as well as assist in execution, as the initiative will subsequently benefit employers throughout the state.

Joe Hand of Interactive Intelligence, former Mayor Greg Ballard, and Warren Lenard of Finish Line were three of the panelists.

“We’ve seen a huge shift from the days when I was in school and jobs with a math, science or computer-focus seemed to be for the guys,” said Robin Fleming, Angie’s List senior vice president of Technology. “One problem we’re facing now in the tech industry is that tech is viewed as a place mostly for coders. Many companies need to fill tech jobs that call for broader skills – UX design, data management experts, DevOps, product management, agile scrum masters, technical project managers and more, so we need to make sure teachers and students know that.”

Nathanial Jones, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, said he was eager for Pike High School to be the initiative’s first setting and predicted other area schools will want to hold their own Teacher TechConnect gatherings.

“Teachers want to help their students reach their potential, regardless of whether it’s a tech or a non-tech future,” he said. “Our staff was quick to embrace this opportunity to expand their knowledge base and we were thrilled to be able to make it happen for them.”

Teachers from Pike Township enjoyed an appetizer buffet at the event before the panelists began speaking.

Dozens of teachers from Pike elementary and secondary schools joined tech company and community leaders for the three-hour event at the Pike High School cafeteria. Teachers who want to dive deeper into tech were invited to enroll in a shadow program that will bring teachers in for a day at local tech companies so they get a closer look at what goes on inside those innovative walls.

TechPoint Foundation for Youth, a nonprofit focused on increasing access to STEM learning opportunities for K-12 students, will house a Teacher TechConnect resource page to connect teachers to opportunities for themselves and their students.

“Central Indiana is rightly being seen as a tech hub, but we have to act now to ensure Hoosiers will be the ones filling the jobs that come along with this emergence of tech companies,” said former Mayor Greg Ballard, who took part. “The array of jobs is staggering – everything from the technical things like coding and software development to soft skills that focus on sales, project management and communicating with others about what these products and tech advances mean.”

Karen Jung, president of Nextech, a nonprofit focused on bringing tech into school classrooms, said teachers are interested in adjusting their curriculum but want to know more about what the companies’ workforces actually do. Nextech will offer a summer course for teachers this summer in addition to a course for students to learn.

“We hope our efforts will include curriculum additions that any school can adopt, even in the elementary schools,” Jung said.

Among the leaders taking part:

• Greg Ballard, former Mayor of Indianapolis and University of Indianapolis Visiting Fellow of the Institute for Civic Leadership & Mayoral Archive

• Laura Dodds, TechPoint Foundation for Youth executive director

• Robin Fleming, Angie’s List SVP of Technology and Women & High Tech board member

• Joe Hand, Interactive Intelligence senior practice leader of Global Managed Services

• Karen Jung, Nextech President

• Warren Lenard, The Finish Line VP, Technology & Operations Solutions

• Dewand Neely, State of Indiana CIO

• Valerie Osinski, Project Lead the Way SVP and CTO

• Jeff Ton, Bluelock EVP of Product and Service Development

• Rhonda Winter, Bluelock EVP of Cloud Operations and Support

We're Hooked! A Rookie Team's First VEX IQ Competition

VEX robotics competition season is officially underway! Events are taking place around the state nearly every weekend between now and February 2017, giving robotics teams the opportunity to collaborate and develop their skills in a competitive environment.

South Newton VEX IQ team poses for a team picture. Even though they didn't feel ready for their first competition, the event taught the team so much and really brought them together!

We understand registering for that first competition can be a little unnerving. With almost 350 brand new Indiana teams working towards competing for the very first time, we asked one new coach to share her team’s experience at the October 29th Crown Point VEX IQ Tournament. Read Ms. Janice Skinner’s thoughts below about her South Newton elementary team’s first ever competition and why she’s so glad she was encouraged to let go of her uncertainty and give her students the opportunity to compete!

How many students do you have on your team?

• 13 students from grades 3rd - 5th grade

Do you coach alone or do you have help? Did you have former robotics experience?

• I am currently the only coach. I had no previous knowledge of robots. However, not knowing all of the answers has turned out to be really beneficial, as the students are forced to learn and persevere when there are challenges. It really makes them take initiative and ownership when they are asked to find the answer themselves.

How many practices did you have prior to your competition?

• We began practicing in mid-September, working towards the October 29th competition that I had signed us up for. We did get about 6 weeks of practice in, but by the time the competition got here, we still weren’t sure we were ready...

What concerns did you have going into the competition?

• I actually emailed the Event Partner to tell her that I had decided we were only going to come and watch instead of participate, as I was afraid we would ruin the competition because we were not ready. Fortunately, the Event Partner encouraged me to participate, reminding me that the outcome of the scores would not matter, the event itself would be a great learning experience, and that we were all in it together. She made me feel so much better and I’m so glad I decided to go through with it.

What are some things that surprised you about the competition?

• There were so many. We never once felt like we didn’t belong. There was so much camaraderie amongst all of the students. Even though all kids and teachers were busy, they still found time to stop and help one another. I learned so much from speaking to other teachers and students. We are hooked!

What will you do in preparation for your next competition?

• Having the field and having a second robot is going to be extremely helpful with a group of 13 students. Knowing exactly the measurements and dimensions of the field will allow the team to better plan and strategize. I’ve found it’s really beneficial to be certain every student has a role; for example, Scorekeeper, Designer, Social Media, Driver, Builder, Driver Schedule Manager, etc.

What did the students like best about the competition?

• Getting to work with students from other teams that they otherwise had never met or known. Figuring out how to communicate and work together as a team. Watching other teams compete helped expose the students to new strategies and designs that they had not considered. Having fun while working hard!

What advice would you give to other new coaches around the state?

• Regardless of feeling like you may not be ready, register for an event and give your students the opportunity to experience a competition! You won’t regret it.

We hope this was helpful for all of you out there who are feeling nervous about registering for, or attending, an upcoming competition. Remember, scores and standings are secondary to the values your students will gain through collaborating as a team and being exposed to other teams around the state!
 

Ms. Janice Skinner teaches at South Newton Elementary and was awarded with a State Robotics Grant through TechPoint Foundation for Youth in Summer 2016. To learn more about the State Robotics Initiative, visit www.techpointyouth.org/robots/

If you are interested in sharing your story, please email us at robotgrant@techpointyouth.org.

US2020 Indy Research Featured at National Conference

This past October, findings based on the US2020 initiative in Indianapolis were presented in Omaha, Nebraska, at the 2016 Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC), a 2-day conference drawing more than 500 attendees from across the country that features projects with a unified goal of building strong community partnerships.

Laura Green, one of TPF4Y's former AmeriCorps VISTA members who has continued her commitment to STEM education programming through her graduate work at IUPUI, now works as a research assistant for the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology. In this role, she is doing research on corporate volunteerism and STEM education, while also continuing to share her passion for these topics by recruiting college students to lead US2020 programs and tracking the impact of volunteer efforts.

Laura attended the pre-conference workshop called "Oh the Places We'll Go: Service Learning Partnerships in Practice," where she participated in discussions on how to create meaningful service learning partnerships between universities, K-12 schools, and the community. Then, during the ESC conference, Laura had applied, and was accepted, to make two presentations that were focused on: 1) lessons learned from the first two years of the US2020 program from both an industry and university perspective, and 2) the US2020 volunteer experience and its impact on the volunteers.

In order to give our local partners a recap of this enlightening research, we wanted to share some of the data highlights from Laura's presentations: 

These are great statistics from US2020 volunteer feedback, but you might be wondering what it means for the bigger picture as TPF4Y continues to engage corporate partners with STEM volunteer opportunities. Luckily, Laura broke it down in her presentation to the basic components of success:

When companies promote US2020 volunteer opportunities,

an enjoyable volunteer experience for employees + perceptions of company support

= positive perceptions of the company by their employees,

which, in turn, leads to increased organizational commitment

In alignment with other research, these findings indicate that volunteers who enjoy their experience and feel supported by their company are likely to attribute their positive experience to their company, and thus, feel pride in, and a commitment to, working for their company.

In a nutshell, it's beneficial to companies to encourage volunteerism among their employees as it leads to increased employee happiness with their employer! TPF4Y is excited to support this trend by continuing to engage corporate partners with fun, hands-on STEM volunteer opportunities at our US2020 school and community center sites. If you, or your company, are interested in learning more, contact Maggie Cline at Maggie@TechPointYouth.org!

#TechTuesday: Best Drones for Kids

UAV's (unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones) are all the rage! If you have kids, they're probably already asking for one, or will be soon. But drones come in so many different shapes, sizes, colors and options that determining the best (and safest) drone for children can be a task all on its own. To help with this, our friends at We Talk UAV, a drone review site, have compiled a list of some drones worth considering for your tech-inspired children.

Cheerson CX Mini - one of the smallest drones out there, it fits in the palm of your hand. This means it can't overcome the wind, so it's a good way to keep kids occupied indoors. This is the perfect starter drone; super lightweight so there's no damage when it inevitably flies into objects (or people). The Cheerson offers 8 minutes of flying time and adjustable speeds.

Syma X5C - a solid starter drone for children interested in aerial photography. Kids will have a blast filming from all new perspectives they can later show off on Youtube. The drone is medium-sized with a wingspan just over 12 inches and the built-in camera features a great 720p resolution. The 2.4 Ghz radio controller reaches a respectable 50 meters, but the camera drains a bit more power, giving the X5C a flight time of only 6 minutes.

Parrot Mini Spider - comparable to the X5C, the Spider also has a camera. But the Mini Spider's camera doesn't record in HD, which means a slightly longer fly time of 8 minutes. Unlike the X5C, the Mini Spider has a unique set of large wheels on either side, creating a sort of cage. The wheels also allow the drone to roll across the floor, wall, even the ceiling! The drone itself is controlled from your mobile device over Bluetooth, which limits the range. Overall, the Mini Spider is great for kids who can't seem to get the hand of flying and find themselves crashing a lot.

DBPower UDI U845 UFO Drone - speaking of unique, the DBPowers UFO is one of the strangest out there. Unlike the previous three drones which have four propellers, this one has six. This is known as a hexacopter design, which adds more stability and a completely different look. The UFO design and LED lights are a sure-fire attention grabber, but this drone also offers an onboard HD camera that can live-stream over WiFi to a mobile device, up to 30 meters. This doesn't hamper flight time as the DBPowers UFO offers 9 minutes in the air, making this drone for the more curious, intentional and perhaps slightly older child.

Hopefully this has given you a better understanding of what to look for in a drone. Kids will love any drone you give them off this list, but there are lots more out there so feel free to continue your research. Happy flying!

Yunhong Liu is the founder of We Talk UAV, a new drone community and news site launching later this year.

Broad Ripple Kiwanis Club Supports STEM!

Broad Ripple Kiwanis Club (BRKC) is a local division of Kiwanis, an international initiative that serves some of the most vulnerable constituents in communities, with a target population that includes children and the disabled. In our community, BRKC's volunteer work revolves around tutoring at IPS schools, donating books to local youth organizations, supporting the Salvation Army, and providing grants to worthy causes within the midtown area. TPF4Y has been the lucky recipient of several grants from BRKC, in support of computer science and robotics for girls.

Last spring, a generous donation from BRKC funded the purchase of 10 laptops to support the US2020-managed CoderDojo coding club that operates out of the Speak Easy, just south of Broad Ripple at 53rd and Winthrop Avenue. CoderDojo is a free program, but at community-based locations, students must bring their own technology in order to participate, creating a significant barrier for low-income students. Thanks to BRKC's donation, ten spots are now available every month for students who are not able to bring their own laptops, ensuring that anyone and everyone is able to attend the Speak Easy Dojo. (Want to sign your child up to participate in the Speak Easy CoderDojo? Click here!)

"The Broad Ripple Kiwanis Club made a commitment to our midtown community to help improve our local public schools," said Marianne Beck, member of the BRKC Board of Directors. "We felt that CoderDojo was a great way to extend the work we do with IPS. To us, better schools mean better communities and we have enjoyed partnering with TechPoint Foundation for Youth to help make that happen!

The BRKC-sponsored laptops served double duty over the summer at a US2020 coding program at Horizons at St. Richard's, where students completed Hour of Code activities and spent six weeks working on Code.org and other fun curriculum. BRKC also sponsored the All Girls FLL Challenge, put on by TPF4Y and several other partners, which impacted almost 50 girls from 9 robotics teams during a day-long, off-season tournament.

Because we are so grateful for their continuing support of TPF4Y programs as well as the work they do in the Broad Ripple community, we can't wait to join them on Friday, October 7th for their fifth annual Pints for Half Pints fundraiser benefitting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) programs in midtown IPS schools. There will be live music, food trucks, raffle prizes, and games, plus you'll receive a souvenir pint glass! To purchase tickets, click here. 

We hope to see you at this fun event and look forward to continuing our partnership with BRKC!

US2020 Year 3 Kickoff Party!

The event was hosted at Angie's List, one of our US2020 corporate partners.

Two weeks ago, we celebrated the start of a new US2020 school year with our annual Kick-Off Party. We can't believe it's already our third year participating in this national initiative, but we're excited about the successes we've seen and the progress we're looking to make during the upcoming school year. 

While the majority of the event was dedicated to networking over appetizers and drinks, we had a few remarks to recognize the successes of one of our partners as well as several volunteers. Ahmed Young, Director of the Mayor's Office of Education Innovation, kicked off the remarks by announcing the renewed support of the US2020 initiative by the City of Indianapolis under Mayor Hogsett, a partnership we value greatly and are excited to continue.

Next, since the event was attended by so many wonderful volunteers, it was only right that we recognized some of our best and brightest, who were nominated by their peers for their US2020 involvement.

This year's US2020 Mentors of the Year were:

Kim Smith

Kim works at First Internet Bank, where she is instrumental in helping to recruit and organize volunteers for the US2020 initiative. In addition to supporting volunteerism in the office, she has volunteered with the Math Pentathlon program at Indian Creek Elementary School for two years, where her enthusiasm for mentorship is evident.
 

Michael Horn

Michael is a graduate student at IUPUI, currently working on a master's degree in biomedical engineering. For the past two years, he has dedicated his time to the FIRST LEGO League Junior program at IPS 14, inspiring young students in the robotics program with his passion for learning and helping others.

Shenyo'a Nubuya

Shenyo'a works for T2 Systems and has volunteered for numerous CoderDojos throughout Indianapolis. Students at Launch Fishers, Horizons at St. Richard's, and Indian Creek Elementary School have all benefitted from having her as a mentor, as she is passionate in her belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and better themselves.

Ahmed Young from the Mayor's office poses with Kim Smith, Shenyo'a Nubuya, and Maggie Cline, US2020 Program Director.

We are so grateful for the commitment of our volunteers, without which US2020 wouldn't be a success. While our students are the biggest beneficiaries of our volunteers' continued dedication to our STEM programs, they tell us it's a two-way street and that they gain just as much from their interactions with the students.

"For me, the best part of being a CoderDojo volunteer is watching a student complete their first coding program on their own," said Shenyo'a Nubuya. "The reaction is priceless!"

Maggie Cline poses with Mathew Palakal and Vicki Daugherty of IUPUI, as well as with Ahmed Young from the Mayor's office.

During the Year 3 Kick-Off Party, we also took the opportunity to recognize a local finalist in the category of Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships for US2020's national STEM Mentoring Awards that were presented in Washington D.C. at the beginning of August. Since our local partners couldn't be at the White House for the awards ceremony, we wanted to publicly congratulate the Indiana University School of Informatics & Computing at IUPUI. Their Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce (iDEW) initiative was recognized for its work to deliver a diverse and knowledgeable workforce to the IT sector via a partnership between the School of Informatics & Computing and local high schools, industry, and community organizations. 

We're so grateful to every partner, volunteer, and funder that commits to supporting the US2020 initiative. Each school, company, and individual volunteer helps us make a lasting impact on Indianapolis' underrepresented youth!

STEM-tastic Summer Learning!

Shanna Martin, Executive Director of Horizons at St. Richard's, was fielding calls from parents wondering why their children wanted to be picked up late on Wednesdays this past summer. The answer? CoderDojo, a US2020- run coding club being facilitated by volunteers during Horizons' aftercare program.

Horizons at SRES is a six-week summer program aimed at decreasing the learning loss that low income students experience during the summer months, a time during which their higher income counterparts are continuing to learn and grow because of their access to educational summer programming. Horizons offers students high quality academics as well as cultural-enrichment and confidence-building activities such as swimming, arts, and sports. 

"CoderDojo has been a great extension of the Horizons program because it's learning that is fun," Martin said. "The children are learning how to organize their thinking and express ideas using technology. It's such a valuable enrichment activity that I'm hoping we can continue to offer it to students in the future."

This past summer, three volunteers from Sharpen and T2 Systems worked with a group of 10 second and third grade students for an hour each Wednesday of the summer program, facilitating their understanding of computer science through coding games. And while it is enlightening for students to learn the basics of coding, it's just as fun for volunteers.

"I'd say the most rewarding aspect of the experience was the excitement and level of engagement demonstrated by the students each week," said one volunteer. "I've always enjoyed working with kids, and though it can sometimes be trying, the joy on their faces whenever they solved a challenge, or grasped a new concept, was contagious. It reaffirmed my love of coding!"

US2020 also facilitated summer volunteer opportunities at the Lilly and Wheeler-Dowe units of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, bringing in 24 volunteers from 4 companies to expose students to exciting STEM programs like Math Pentathlon and CoderDojo. The addition of summer programming is new for US2020, which facilitates mostly after-school programs during the school year, but with such great feedback from students and volunteers alike, is definitely something that will be repeated next summer!

Meet the US2020 VISTA!

After searching far and wide to fill the available VISTA positions in the US2020 initiative, we chose a new team member, Connor Karns, to fill the role of Program & Evaluation Coordinator.

AmeriCorps VISTA is a federal initiative where volunteers elect to live at the local level of poverty and serve their community, usually by working with a nonprofit. Think Peace Corps, but domestic. Our VISTAs work to maintain and grow the sustainability and capacity of US2020. 

Meet this year's VISTA below:

Connor Karns
US2020 Program & Evaluation Coordinator

Connor leads evaluation procedures for the US2020 Initiative in Indianapolis. He will work to maintain pre-existing evaluation methods, including surveys, manage database input and reporting, and work to ensure student and volunteer engagement.

Fun Fact: Connor is a collector of Hawaiian shirts! He frequents local Goodwills to find more. 

We're really excited to start Year 3 of the US2020 initiative both with returning and new members of our team. We'd love it if you walked along with us this year!

Blast from the Past: Damon Richards

In the first installment of our "Blast from the Past" blog series, we're catching up with former TPF4Y board member Damon Richards, who was on the selection committee to hire our Executive Director Laura Dodds when she came on board back in March of 2008. 

Graduating in 1984 with a degree in electrical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Damon co-founded and led Port-to-Port Consulting for 21 years before it merged with Desktop Resources to create Spectrum Technology in January of 2013. He then retired in September of that year and has since done some consulting work on IT related issues, enjoyed a lot of bicycle riding, and focused on "maintaining a passing grade in Retirement 101."

Damon poses in front of his alma mater on day 35 of a cross-country bike trek from Santa Monica, CA, to Washington, D.C.

With such a passion for biking (he's completed a solo ride around lake Michigan as well as another all the way across the USA), he began volunteering with Freewheelin' Community Bikes in December 2014. As he became more involved, Damon wanted to inspire the kids to keep riding, so he added a riding requirement to the Earn-A-Bike program in the summer of 2015 and suggested training the kids to ride a century (a 100 mile bike ride) earlier this year.

"I'm expecting to take ten kids to the Rollfast Gran Fondo on September 18th in Carmel, where they will complete their first 100 mile ride," Damon said. "But the most exciting part is that the kids will be on new road bicycles that they earned through their riding efforts."

While Freewheelin' has already secured financial support from the CIBA Foundation, Rollfast, and Clif Bar & Company, the group is still in need of funding to cover expenses for their training and the event itself. If you'd like to support Damon and the students as they look forward to their first century ride, click here to make a donation.

Damon is excited to continue his involvement with Freewheelin', which now includes serving on their board as well as expanding the Century Club and developing a touring program for next year where the final activity will be a multi-day ride that includes camping. He also participates in morning runs with Back on My Feet Indianapolis and serves as a fourth grade tour leader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May of each year.

Once they became empty nesters, Damon and his wife Susie moved downtown to the Old Northside, where they discovered their love of downtown living. They've been urbanites for four years.

Repurposed Corporate Computers Grow Indiana's Future Tech Workforce

INDIANAPOLIS, July 11, 2016 – With the help of companies like Interactive Intelligence, out-of-warranty technology is being repurposed by start-up Multiply Technology, and issued back to the Indiana community through small-scale businesses, nonprofits and other organizations in need of low-cost tech solutions.

“When a computer goes out-of-warranty or reaches its end-of-life, our choices for what to do are limited,” said Todd Pedersen, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Interactive Intelligence. “We’re thrilled with the idea that our equipment can be repurposed by Multiply Technology and used to make an impact in the community through programs like CoderDojo.”

Multiply’s mission is to be the conduit that connects companies and their out-of-warranty gear with nonprofits and other organizations that are doing good around the world. Multiply meets all regulatory and compliance standards; securely erasing and preparing out-of-warranty equipment for reuse by the community at a fraction of the cost of new equipment.

“We’re fortunate that Indy’s biggest and best companies care so much about directing resources to multiply the good,” said Aaron Padgett, Multiply co-founder. Doug Booth, Multiply’s other co-founder, added: “We’re really privileged to be the ones who can facilitate the use of these resources in a secure and sustainable way.”

Recently, CoderDojo Indiana, a TechPoint Foundation for Youth program, purchased laptops from Multiply Technology to support CoderDojos at Launch Fishers and The Speak Easy in Broad Ripple.

CoderDojo is a global movement of free, volunteer-led computer coding clubs for students between seven and 17 years old. CoderDojo Indiana, in partnership with Eleven Fifty Academy and CoderDojo Foundation, will launch 20 Dojos in Indiana over the next year, some of which will be outfitted with technology purchased from Multiply Technology.

Students at Horizons at St. Richard's Episcopal School participate in Hour of Code using TechPoint Foundation's Multiply laptops.

“Often Dojos require students to bring their own technology to the free program,” said Laura Dodds, executive director of TechPoint Foundation for Youth. “As you can imagine, this presents a significant obstacle for low-income families. Working with Multiply Technology, we’ve already purchased laptop sets for use at new Dojos making these programs accessible to any student wishing to participate.”

At the 2016 Mira Awards Gala hosted by TechPoint, the event’s presenting sponsors, Interactive Intelligence, Angie’s List and Salesforce, made a financial commitment to CoderDojo Indiana. Through audience donations matched by the three sponsors, more than $60,000 was raised that night to support the 20 CoderDojos that will start in Indiana in partnership with the Eleven Fifty Academy’s Cool Coding Awareness Week.

“Like many of our friends in the software industry, we struggle to find the talent needed to meet our needs,” Pedersen said. “Supporting programs like CoderDojo Indiana that gets kids excited about computer science allows us to build a talent pool right here in our own backyard. Knowing that many of those kids are learning the tricks of the trade on our repurposed equipment is especially exciting for us."

About Interactive Intelligence:

Interactive Intelligence Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ININ) is a global leader of cloud services for customer engagement, communications and collaboration designed to help businesses worldwide improve service, increase productivity and reduce costs. Backed by a 20-plus year history of industry firsts, 150-plus pending patent applications, and more than 6,000 global customer deployments, Interactive offers customers fast return on investment, along with robust reliability, scalability and security. It’s also the only company recognized by the top global industry analyst firm as a leader in both the cloud and on-premises customer engagement markets. The company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and has more than 2,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.inin.com.

Interactive Intelligence is the owner of, and holds certain registrations for, the marks INTERACTIVE INTELLIGENCE, its associated LOGO, PURECLOUD and numerous other trademarks and service marks in the United States and various other jurisdictions around the world. All third-party trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

Contact: Christine Holley, Sr. Director, Market Communications, Interactive Intelligence, 317-715-8220

About TechPoint Foundation for Youth:

As the leader in technology education efforts for the state of Indiana since 2001, TechPoint Foundation for Youth is committed to providing our state’s K-12 students, especially those typically underrepresented in STEM industry, with equal opportunities to explore the hands-on learning opportunities that inspire the pursuit of in demand STEM careers. In 2016, in partnership with Eleven Fifty Academy and CoderDojo Foundation, TechPoint Foundation for Youth launched the first of its kind statewide CoderDojo coalition known as CoderDojo Indiana. Over the next year, 20 Dojos will be formed across the state and outfitted with the technology needed to provide interested students access to these free community-based coding clubs. For more information on TechPoint Foundation for Youth & CoderDojo Indiana visitwww.techpointyouth.org.

Contact: Laura Dodds, Executive Director, TechPoint Foundation for Youth

About Multiply Technology:

Multiply Technology is an innovative startup revolutionizing the IT asset disposition industry. Multiply is focused on collecting and repurposing end-of-life machines, eliminating company data liability, minimizing waste, and most importantly making an impact on the community using that technology as a vehicle to do so. Multiply’s motto is to “Multiply the Good,” which has been the foundation of the company culture and the why behind their business.  For more information, visitwww.multiplytechnology.com.

Contact: Doug Booth, Co-founder, Multiply Technology, 317-689-0585

US2020 Volunteer Spotlight: Paula Deemer

First Internet Bank is a valued US2020 founding partner and their employees are nothing short of stellar volunteers. One mentor in particular, Paula Deemer, has shined brightly as an active volunteer with the Math Pentathlon program at Thomas D. Gregg IPS School 15.

Through the efforts of Paula and her fellow First Internet Bank volunteers, a popular after-school program has emerged. Math Pentathlon is a K-7th grade program of engaging and interactive problem-solving games that teach students how to learn, live and love math. This program strengthens basic math concepts and skills, and stimulates creative thinking while developing problem-solving skills. 

When asked about why she volunteers, Paula answered, “I choose to volunteer because it’s a win-win-win experience (notice the extra “win”). It provides the opportunity for a unique interaction with another that is not linear, but circular. I have found the person volunteering in the role as a mentor often ends up being enriched as much or more from the experience and learning as many things as they are teaching. It’s very rewarding to see my efforts impact the lives of others.” 

Paula’s passion for giving back is evident to her coworkers as well. Kim Smith, Chief Compliance Officer at First Internet Bank, said, “Paula is always the first one to volunteer and offer her time in the service of our community. She is enthusiastic and passionate. As a member of FirstIB’s philanthropy committee she is always looking for new ways the Bank can reach underserved communities.” 

Enthusiastic volunteers like Paula are the backbone of US2020. Thank you Paula, for your service!

All Girls FLL Challenge!

Almost 50 girls from 9 FLL teams came to the School of Informatics & Computing at IUPUI on Saturday, May 21st, to participate in the first annual All Girls FLL Challenge, an off-season robotics event for girls only. 

Funded by the National Girls Collaborative Project and the Broad Ripple Kiwanis Club, the event was hosted by a planning committee comprised of the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, IndianaFIRST, the Learning Curve at Central Library, the School of Informatics & Computing (SOIC), and the TechPoint Foundation for Youth.

The following 9 teams participated in the event:

1. Chemical Latinas - Indianapolis, IN
2. Gamer Girlz - Indianapolis, IN 
3. Huntington Ladies - Huntington, IN
4. Lady-Bots - Griffith, IN
5. Robow Squirrels - Bedford, IN
6. Silver Streak - Carmel, IN
7. TransformHERS - Indianapolis, IN
8. Waverly Legends of LEGOs - Martinsville, IN
9. Wild - Indianapolis, IN

The day started with an opening ceremony followed by three, hour-long sessions that the teams rotated through. Groups of teams took a tour of the SOIC building and experienced cool technology like the virtual reality and media labs, spent time on the practice fields to prepare their robots for competition, and participated in a sisterhood activity that had them inventing a holder for 8 water bottles that was safe for both animals and the environment. After lunch, the robot matches began, interspersed with time slots to present their "Harmless Holder" inventions to the judges.

One of the unique aspects of this event was the pairing of female high school robotics team members with each FLL team. These high school volunteers were from 5 different FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams and were a great resource for the FLL-ers, allowing them to interact with older girls who love robotics just as much as they do!

Of the 34 volunteers who helped make this event a success, 33 of them were female, including an all-women planning committee, referees, and judges, who came with a very impressive combined resume. We would like to thank our esteemed judges for their help:
 

Adrienne Wright
VP, Technology
Emmis Communications

Carlotta Berry
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Christina Dunbar
Senior UX Researcher
Angie's List

Jane Richardson
Director of IT Strategy
Cummins

Tiffany Trusty
Director of Apprenticeship
Eleven Fifty Academy

Six total awards were presented to the most deserving teams for the following accomplishments:

Champion: Robow Squirrels
The Champion Award is presented to the team with the highest score during the robot competition.

Runner Up: Lady-Bots
The Runner Up Award is presented to the team with the second highest score during the robot competition.

Robot Design Award: Waverly Legends of LEGOs
For the Robot Design Award, judges look for a team whose design work stands out. They evaluate mechanical design, innovation, programming effectiveness, and team strategies for solving missions to assess overall design quality. Judges also take into account how well the robot performs on the competition field

Sisterhood Award: Robow Squirrels
For the Sisterhood Award, judges base their decision on the teamwork and core values exhibited during the sisterhood activity time, as well as the team's presentation of their finished invention. They look for a team that invented a clever product, but did so while displaying enthusiasm and support for the ideas of their fellow teammates.

Creativity Award: Silver Streak
For the Creativity Award, judges look for a team whose effort and performance is unique from every other team. They base their decision on conversations and observations made throughout the day while they look for a team that displays creativity in every aspect of their work, from the design of their robot, to the presentation of their team, to the way they work together.

Phoenix Award: WILD
The Phoenix Award is given to a team that displays a can-do attitude throughout the event, even when presented with disappointing challenges or problems. The judges look for a team that does not give up easily and is determined to persevere despite difficulties.

Congratulations to all our teams for a fabulous day of STEM learning and thank you to our sponsors and volunteers for helping to make this event possible!

May the 4th Be With You!

Not so long ago in a galaxy pretty close to home...

TPF4Y partnered with 17 Indianapolis companies to bring you a celebration of all things Star Wars: May the 4th Be With You, also known as Star Wars Day! For our inaugural year, we asked employees of those companies to wear their favorite Star Wars gear, anything from a t-shirt to a full-on Wookiee costume was encouraged. Then, we invited everyone to an afterwork party with plenty of fun activities including light saber training, character photo opportunities, a vintage Star Wars video game, a BB8 obstacle course, coloring contest, giveaway drawing, and, of course, plenty of food and drinks. A huge thank you to our presenting sponsor, NextGear Capital, for helping to make it all happen!

The Angie's List team in their Star Wars gear.

We gave away several awards, the most coveted of which was the Jedi Master Traveling Trophy, awarded to the company with the most creative and comprehensive character representations. We also recognized individuals for the best costumes from the Dark Side and the Light Side. Congrats to our winners:

• Angie's List for taking home the Jedi Master Traveling Trophy
   
• Emmanuel Greene from Bloomerang for taking home the Best Costume: Light Side trophy for his impressive impersonation of Rey
   
• Ryan Hartman from Angie's List for taking home Best Costume: Dark Side for his outstanding representation of Kylo Ren.

A real highlight of the evening was the live chalk art performance by Ben Glenn, the Chalk Guy, where he completed an intricate Star Wars landscape on a 6 foot by 8 foot canvas in just over 20 minutes! It was not only some awesome entertainment, but also found a new home at Angie's List thanks to a generous donation that allowed them to take it home!

Thanks for all those who participated this year - we're excited to have you back (with friends!) next year! Until then, may the Force be with you...

$60,000 Raised at the Mira Awards to Launch CoderDojo Indiana

Over $30,000 in individual donations were raised for TechPoint Foundation for Youth to bring computer programming clubs for kids called “CoderDojos” to Indiana during the 17th annual TechPoint Mira Awards gala. Mira Awards presenting sponsors Angie’s List, Interactive Intelligence, and Salesforce matched those donations, resulting in a grand total of $60,000 in support.

Laura Dodds, executive director of the TechPoint Foundation for Youth, and John Qualls, president of Eleven Fifty Academy, announced the launch of CoderDojo Indiana, making Indiana the first state in the country to commit to providing all students access to computer programming clubs.

This statewide, regional partnership with CoderDojo is the first of its kind supporting the growth of the youth computer programming movement and TechPoint Foundation for Youth has already hired the staff to make it happen, which is also a nationwide first!

Uploaded by TechPoint on 2016-04-24.

Eleven Fifty Academy, in response to the growing technology skills gap in Indiana, has partnered with TechPoint Foundation for Youth to educate schools and communities throughout the state about computer programming. Bringing their interactive, weeklong program, Cool Coding Awareness Week, into 20 cities, Eleven Fifty aims to foster students’ coding knowledge and to continue growing their coding interests.

To launch 20 CoderDojos, and outfit each of them, plus the ones already happening in our communities, with a set of loaner laptops to keep this program accessible to all Indiana students, TechPoint Foundation for Youth needed to raise $140,000. Prior to the Mira Awards, over half of that amount was raised, and thanks to the generosity of the Mira Awards presenting sponsors and the attendees, the program is now fully funded.

A special thanks goes to Indianapolis mobile technology company BidPal for providing the text-to-give donation platform.
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Croft is content strategy and PR manager at TechPoint. She writes about Indiana tech companies, jobs, people and events. Reach out to Sara @saraelysecroft.

Mayor Ballard Recognized at VEX Worlds

The VEX Robotics World Championship took place in Louisville, Kentucky, April 20th - 23rd, with over 16,000 participants representing 37 different nations, all under one roof at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Interestingly enough, a Guinness World Records title was achieved at the 2016 VEX Worlds for the largest student-led robotics competition!

Three members of our TPF4Y team were able to volunteer during the event, giving us the opportunity to bring our experiences back to Indiana to implement as we expand the State Robotics Initiative. 

There were several highlights of the event, including the parade of nations during the opening ceremony that showcased each of the countries participating in VEX Worlds. The robot competition matches themselves are always exciting and VEX Robotics and the REC Foundation also unveiled the brand new VEX and VEX IQ challenges and game pieces.

For our Indiana contingency, the real highlight was the induction of former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard into the STEM Hall of Fame, where he was recognized on stage for his commitment to robotics education for students through the City of Indianapolis VEX Robotics Championship (IndyVRC). This was followed by the announcement of the Indiana State Robotics Initiative, which will scale Mayor Ballard's vision statewide through seed funding from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development with support from the Governor's office.

One of our Indiana teams, 323S Skyhawks from the Cornerstone Robotics Club in Indianapolis, took the middle school VEX IQ World Championship title! The team was paired with 10543C Bestic C from Shanghai, China, and the duo accomplished a perfect score of 173 during their final match, edging out their nearest competitor by 2 points. Check out their story in the news here. 

Overall, we had a great trip and are already looking forward to returning next year!