MISSION

To inspire youth to increase their knowledge and interest in technology by providing engaging learning opportunities led by technology professionals

  • We provide the tools

    Tech Journey fosters access to tech professionals who serve as mentors and instructors as well as providing students hardware and software

  • We open doors

    Tech Journey’s target student demographic focuses on youth who otherwise may not have the opportunity to access technology

  • We commit to a journey

    Tech Journey focuses on long-term relationships and mentoring from elementary through high school to maximize impact

  • Students are inspired

    Students are inspired to explore and engage in technology through experiential learning and other opportunities such as employment

  • Students succeed

    Students are encouraged to pursue higher education and careers in technology, helping fill the national STEM talent gap

  • Students give back

    Students are encouraged to use their technical skills to give back to the community and for social good

Tech Camp is an immersive annual summer camp experience for students in grades 8 through 12. A cohort of 8th grade students are identified with consideration given to socioeconomic status, gender and ethnicity. The new cohort, as well as the previous four cohorts, are invited each year to attend the one-week summer camp.

Through our YouthCode program, students in elementary and middle school are introduced to the basics of coding and robotics. The delivery of workshops, instructional classes, camps and ad-hoc events enable Tech Journey to impact and engage with students before 8th grade, serving as an on ramp to Tech Camp.

CoderDojoDSM is a program intended for ongoing mentoring of Tech Camp students beyond the one week of summer and for YouthCode students beyond its various activities. CoderDojos are a global movement of community-based coding meetups where students visit a Dojo to hone their skills in a less-structured, creative and social environment.

Iowa needs technology talent. An education and workforce study commissioned by the State of Iowa in 2015 reports that Iowa’s economy will add nearly 250,000 net new jobs from 2010 to 2025. By 2025, 68 percent of all Iowa jobs will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school. Yet Iowa only encourages computer science in every school.

22%

Growth in Iowa STEM jobs by 2025

459

Iowa Computer Science graduates in 2017

14%

Female Iowa Computer Science graduates in 2017

Interested in getting involved?