One camp. 4 days. 71 students. 45 volunteers. All online.

Inspiring high school students to explore technology

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.

Tech Camp 2020 was like no other activity for Tech Journey as it was all online. Regardless, students were given the opportunity to learn from and work with a diverse group of passionate and successful technologists. During Tech Camp 2020, students participated in two general/keynote sessions and two learning sessions over the four days. Learning sessions included introductory and advanced topics such as coding basics, Python, web development, game development, electronics and an information security capture the flag challenge to name a few.

  • We provide knowledge and tools

    Students connecting with professionals

    All students attended two keynote sessions and two tech learning sessions that were delivered by local tech professionals serving as volunteer hosts, instructors and mentors.

    Tool boxes with tools

    Due to the virtual format, we shipped or delivered tool boxes valued at almost $60 to participants. Tech Camp tool boxes included a few tech items, swag and plenty of snacks.

  • We open closed doors

    Serving the underrepresented in tech

    Of students completing the optional camp questionnaire, 55% were female and the ethnic breakdown was Asian 26%, Black/African American 14%, Hispanic/Latinx 21% and the balance being White/Caucasian or other.

  • We commit to a journey

    Another first for Tech Camp

    2020 marked another first as we invited students from our other programs to participate in the Tech Camp program. The result was that almost ten percent of students attending Tech Camp 2020 were involved in our CoderDojoDSM or YouthCode programs.

    Tech Camp lasts four to five years

    Once a student attends Tech Camp for the first time as an 8th or 9th grader, he/she is invited back each remaining year of high school to continue exploring tech. Of the students completing the optional camp questionnaire, 83% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “After Tech Camp, I am still interested in learning about technology.”