Connected Nation invites teachers, parents to host watch parties, cheer on student teams for the national Kids Tech Summit
Bowling Green, Kentucky (April 12, 2021) – The national Kids Tech Summit will take place in less than 10 days on Friday, April 22 at 4pm (eastern). The finals for this event will feature four student teams from organizations located across the country – from New Jersey to Hawai’i.
This friendly competition, which is hosted by national nonprofit Connected Nation (CN) and sponsored by AT&T’s Connected Learning program, provides an opportunity for students to use their digital skills to develop 100% student-led projects that directly benefit their communities and help narrow the Digital Divide.
“We challenged those taking part to look at ways to enhance their out-of-the-classroom digital learning while also focusing on community service,” said Heather Gate, Vice President, Digital Inclusion, CN. “The hope is that these projects will help students grow their digital skills in new ways, while also providing a strong foundation for creating positive and proactive change within their own communities.”
CN’s staff is asking parents and teachers to get their kids and students involved in supporting the student teams taking part in this national competition.
“We are hopeful parents and teachers will organize watch parties for this event, which will be streamed live on YouTube so anyone can easily access it,” said Jessica Denson, Communications Director, CN. “The hope is that the competition will encourage other young people across the country to get involved in community projects while also giving them an opportunity to learn how technology can be fun and something they, too, may want to pursue as a career. Those watching can share their support for their favorite teams with the hashtag #KidsTechSummit.”
The final four organizations are: Pi515, which is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and teaches technology skills to young students; Kahauiki Village, which is located in Hawaii and provides housing for homeless families; C5 Los Angeles (C5LA), which is located in California and provides access to education for under-resourced communities; and Computers 4 People, Inc., which is located in New York City and provides free computers to people in need.
The finalists will compete for cash prizes ranging from $7,500 to $2,000. They will present their projects to a panel of technology experts via a virtual event on Friday, April 22, which can be viewed by the public at this YouTube link.
The Kids Tech Summit is a continuation of AT&T’s $10 million commitment to helping the nation’s most at-risk children. Through this commitment, AT&T and CN delivered hotspots to 150 schools and nonprofits across the country in 2021, which provided connectivity for more than 40,000 vulnerable students.
Learn more about the summit, including the rules and measure of success, by heading to https://connectednation.org/kids-tech-summit/.
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About Us: Connected Nation celebrated 20 years of service in 2021. The national nonprofit’s mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation.
For more information, please visit: connectednation.org and follow Connected Nation on Facebook and Twitter.