Plattsburgh NY – June XX, 2019– Due to increasing demand for employees with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills to fill jobs in the global economy, AT&T, North County STEM Network, Clarkson University and Coryer Staffing, Inc. have partnered to create the first of its kind educational opportunity of high school students in Plattsburg and across the North Country this summer. The AT&T & North County STEM Network Tech Camp is an initiative to encourage students to enter the field of technology; an industry that is alarmingly in need of a trained workforce. It is estimated that for every two available STEM jobs, there is only one qualified professional available to fill it. The STEM program will provide 30 students from local high schools (grades 9-12) across the North Country an opportunity to gain valuable STEM skills and hands-on experiences, while encouraging them to follow a tech career path. The summer’s two week-long program is from July 29 – August 9 at Beekmantown Central School, from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. each week day. The free program has been made possible by a $24,000 contribution from AT&T.
The high school participant experience will be centered around project-based learning including computer coding basics, engineering design, robotics and production management. Additional segments will focus on career exploration and will feature industry and college tours, guest speakers from various tech industries and professional portfolio development. Camp participants will develop collaboration and problem solving skills and enhanced communication and personal skills. Emphasis will be placed on how technology and computer science can be used for good to create solutions to address issues impacting youth in our region, such as cyberbullying and a good digital citizenship.
The AT&T & North County STEM Network Tech Camp will also connect students with team-based coding projects designed to make a difference in their schools and their community, while providing them hands-on experience developing their own technology. The students will be mentored by local tech professionals and educators to identify and design coding solutions, learn coding computer programing language, create mobile apps, digital storyboards, animated movies, learning games and basic websites, while going on field trips to see technology at work in the community and at colleges. The students will also have a unique opportunity to learn about and build robotics.
To eliminate economic barriers, the program is free and lunch is provided. Participants will not need a computer to take part. All technologies, including a computer, will be provided for the duration of the program. To register, students and their parents must visit www.northcountrystem.org and fill out the application or www.clarkson.edu and fill out the application. The program is open to high school students from all school districts across the North Country region. No previous tech education or experience is required, but all applicants will need to complete an application on why they want to take part. The deadline to apply is July 12, 2019 . All applicants will be notified regarding the review process and potential acceptance on or before July 19, 2019.
The North Country STEM Network, founded in 2012 and led at Clarkson University, fosters collaboration and innovation among all community resources to empower diverse learners with 21st Century Skills for educational and career success. It is the catalyst to energize and focus community resources to design, develop, implement and demonstrate innovative, sustainable, and transferable STEM learning experiences for economic vitality and exceptional quality of life . Participation is open to any and all individuals, schools, businesses and colleges interested in collaborating to provide STEM experiences for students in our region. The North Country STEM Network has been recognized as a model Community of Practice by the national STEM Ecosystems organization.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Department of Labor, much of the growth in the domestic and global economy will come from STEM-related jobs – a highly lucrative and competitive field. It is estimated by 2020 there will be 2.4 million unfilled STEM jobs with more than half made up of computer and coding careers, underscoring the importance of providing the youth the tools and skills necessary to compete in this innovation economy. These alarming statistics emphasizes the importance of providing programing like the AT&T & STSI All Girls Coding Camp to provider these much in need workforce skills.
“AT&T is proud to collaborate with North Country STEM Network, Clarkson University and Coryer Staffing, Inc. to develop and support this innovative experience for local students, as it further enhances our commitment to providing resources for STEM-related educational programming throughout New York,” said Amy Kramer, president, New York, AT&T. “Our economy continues to transform at a robust pace – requiring a workforce with a focus on technological education and literacy – and STEM and computer science programs like the AT&T & North County STEM Network Tech Camp are vital to ensure that students are equipped to compete in the global innovation economy of tomorrow.”
“Today’s students live in a rapidly changing global society that promises expeditious advances in technology and unknown challenges. We need to equip them with the critical thinking and technology competencies to meet these challenges with innovative solutions developed through collaboration and electronic communications. Opportunities, such as this camp, are essential to preparing students for their futures and assuring a strong local and national economy,” said å “We are very grateful to AT&T for providing our North Country students with this opportunity.”
AT&T’s support for this program is part of the company’s legacy of supporting educational programs focused on STEM disciplines in New York through AT&T Aspire, the company’s signature $450 million philanthropic initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, programing, employee volunteerism and mentoring. Aspire is one of the nation’s largest corporate commitments focused 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 21 st century careers.
The program is also part of Believe New York℠, an extension of AT&T Believes ℠, a larger company-wide initiative, which aims to create positive change in local communities.