AT&T, Tech4Kidz, Syracuse University and the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School to Offer Syracuse’s Only Digital Literacy Summer Program to Help Close the Diversity Gap in Technology and Protect Youth Online
More than 45 spots available for local public and charter school students to take part in the free digital literacy and tech summer program to help address the digital divide and create new digital ambassadors in the Syracuse community
Syracuse, NY – June 23, 2023 – Do you have a young student home that attends a public or charter grammar school in the Syracuse area that wants to learn more about emerging technologies and enhance their digital literacy? Would they like to become a digital ambassador in their community to help others learn how to use computers and the internet better and safer? If so, AT&T, Syracuse University, Tech4Kidz and the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School have the perfect opportunity for your child, they have teamed up this summer to host the region’s only free digital literacy and education summer program created to address equity issues in technology education and careers, while supporting local students impacted by the digital divide by providing critical skills to help prevent a summer slide in technology. The AT&T ‘Cuse Youth Digital Ambassador Program is also designed to encourage more underserved and diverse students to enter the field of technology, an industry that has long faced a pervasive diversity gap, while providing students with digital literacy skills and firsthand experience with emerging technology and training them to be community digital ambassadors to help others be safe and more proficient online. The innovative program will offer underrepresented students an opportunity to learn about cutting edge technology advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, coding and digital literacy skills to support their success in school and in life, and to avoid the dangers that exist online and to practice good online civility.
The program will provide more than 45 underrepresentedstudentsfrom the Syracuse City School District, local nonprofit organizations and city charter schools in grades 5-7 an opportunity to gain digital literacy and readiness skills through unique technology focused immersive experiences, while encouraging them to explore tech focused educational and career paths.
The free program has been made possible by financial support and programing collaboration from AT&T as part of the company’s three-year $2 billion nationwide commitment to help bridge the digital divide and homework gap. To eliminate economic barriers, the program is free, and lunch, snacks and transportation are provided.
The AT&T ‘Cuse Youth Digital Ambassador Program will take place this summer at Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School (SASCS) and will be hosted by Tech4kidsz and professors from Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies (iSchool) from Monday, July 31st – Friday, Aug 4th h from 9am – 3pm each day. To sign up a child for the free program, parents need to register them via the registration site here (https://tech4kidz.net/event-calendar/att-cuse-youth-digital-ambassador-program/) or call 315.400.0488 by July 14th, 2023. Qualifying students will be accepted in order of registering, so it is recommended to apply as soon as possible. All applicants will be notified regarding the acceptance shortly after they register and qualify.
The students will learn a vast array of digital literacy skills, including cybersecurity, robotics building, social media uses, computer coding basics, keyboarding skills, AI and ethics involved, and finding factual news. The students will also learn how technology can be used for good and community building by creating solutions and discovering creative uses to address issues impacting youth of the region, such as digital citizenship.
The AT&T ‘Cuse Youth Digital Ambassador Programwill culminate on Friday, Aug. 4th in a digital demo day where the students will present and showcase their final digital projects, which will feature student created technology in the digital world addressing digital citizenship issues and how to be safe online. Participating students will also be awarded an official AT&T ‘Cuse Youth Digital Ambassador certificate and a special gift of a digital resource to help them spread their digital skills, tools and knowledge of how to be safe online with their families, friends, neighbors, community organizations and classmates.
Digital knowledge has become the new literacy and is the driver of all new global technology. With the growing demand to innovate, organizations across various industries struggle to fill skilled positions. It’s projected that there will be 3.5 million tech jobs in the U.S. by 2025, underscoring the importance of providing the youth the tools and skills necessary to compete in this innovation economy. The urgency for more diverse technology trained employees is accentuated by the low percentage of diversity within the technology industry. This alarming diversity shortage in the tech industry and the growing STEM job market emphasizes the importance of providing programing like the AT&T ‘Cuse Youth Digital Ambassador Program to youth of all backgrounds and economic situations.
Tech4kidz provides educator workshops, classes to kids ages 8-15 as well as engineering/coding camps during the summer. These classes promote computational thinking and provide kids with problem solving skills they will apply in all areas of school. Their goal is to engage kids in technology at an early age and make them confident users of the technology that is all around them.
Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Its collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, they connect people, perspectives, and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches.
The Syracuse Academy of Science provides support, challenges and opportunities for its students, and it instills the necessary skills and knowledge in math, science, and technology that empower students, with high intellectual standards, preparing them for college, career, and citizenship. It seeks to graduate students who can think critically and creatively, who are committed to a lifetime of learning and civic involvement, and who are conscious of local, global, and environmental issues.
AT&T’s support for this program is part of the company’s legacy of supporting educational programs focused on digital literacy and STEM disciplines in New York and is part of its ongoing commitment to digital equity through efforts that promote device access, broadband affordability, accessibility, and safe adoption for all. It builds on AT&T’s previous investments and long-standing commitment to education, in which the company has contributed more than $600 million to programs that help millions of students in underserved communities since 2008, focusing on school success and workforce readiness by creating new learning environments and educational delivery systems to help students succeed and prepare them to take on 21st century careers. AT&T is committed to leveraging technology and social innovation to help give New Yorkers – regardless of age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status – the opportunity to succeed by creating new learning environments and educational delivery systems that promote racial equity in academic and economic achievement.
