In October we hosted our first international Catalyst Program experience. With the support of community partners including Team Inc. and Oakland Natives Give Back, we hosted #TechSlamUK and supported Colorintech’s ColorCode event in London. This opportunity provided 200+ UK students with exposure to tech pathways, including immersive coding workshops led by our Hidden Genius Alumni.
Monday, October 22, 2018
FROM THE BAY TO THE UK
We appreciate United Airlines, the Official Aviation Partner of The Hidden Genius Project, O’Morris Adams, and United Team for creating such a warm and welcoming experience at SFO for our Geniuses and organization. For most of our team, this was their first international trip and everyone at United made sure our flight to London was a seamless experience. This included one on one support with boarding pass staff, an awesome departure reception, tasty swagged out cupcakes, and the opportunity for youth to share the purpose of our trip to fellow travelers at the gate terminal.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
#TechSlamUK
Over 100 local London students walked into Google Academy with both anticipation and excitement in their eyes as they were eager for #TechSlamUk to begin! Brandon, our Founding Executive Director, kicked us off by leading an engaging panel discussion with tech professionals from Autodesk, Google, Team Inc., Aresenal FC and MyCognition where the youth had an opportunity to ask questions about their career pathways. Then our Hidden Genius Alumni took the stage by facilitating incredible hands-on coding workshops and Team Inc. got in on the fun by introducing the students to sports analytics software. After lunch, our participants traveled to Chelsea FC stadium to experience the community expo set up by all of our collaborators, including Oakland Natives Give Back. The expo was filled with energy as students visited every partner’s booth to check out the immersive experiences they offered, receive free swag and participate in a fun and suspenseful raffle.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
ColorCode
At ColorCode, our Hidden Genius Alumni supported Colorintech by inspiring their peers through coding workshops as Youth Educators. From robotic relays to programming pocketchips, our Geniuses exposed students to skills they can pursue as potential career opportunities. Plus, they even presented their app projects to a room full of educators and adults and shared how important it was for youth of color to be producers and not consumers of technology.
Click HERE to read a reflection about the trip
by our Executive Director, Brandon Nicholson, Ph.D.
Special thanks to all of our sponsors and collaborators for helping to make this experience a reality:
