Latino Middle School Males Get a Tech Jump Start with “Innovative Learning” Program

Now in its third year, the Verizon Innovative Learning program, the education arm of the Verizon Foundation, is increasingly geared towards helping Hispanic male students break down barriers and consider STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers. 
Recently, Verizon announced the expansion of its STEM and entrepreneurship program for minority middle school boys in 16 cities including areas with high Hispanic population. 
Launched in 2015 in partnership with Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the program has provided students with intensive hands-on courses such as mobile app development, 3D design, drone creation and execution, and development of virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. Students involved in the Verizon Innovative Learning program are connected to college mentors and paired for continued programming during the school year, for their next two years.
“At Verizon, we firmly believe that all students, regardless of race or economic background, should have an equal opportunity to develop the necessary skills that they will need to thrive in a tech-driven economy,” said Innovative Learning project engineer Phil Puthumana. “Because of the legacy of the experience of minority males in America, they are lagging behind in access to technology and quality STEM education - and are thus underrepresented in STEM fields. They are also perceived in a one-dimensional way. So, we wanted to use our resources to not only give them the access to tech and STEM skills, but also expose them and the world to what their capabilities truly are.”
During the summer, minority male students from surrounding middle schools will attend summer technology courses on university campuses, taught by professors, where they will learn the fundamentals of STEM subjects. This year the roster of participating schools will be expanded to include four new HBCUs and HSIs, to include:
•  Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN
•  Florida International University, Miami, FL
•  California State University at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
•  Dillard University, New Orleans, LA
Those schools join the following institutions that participated last year:
•  California State University at San Bernadino San Bernadino, CA
•  Central State University, Wilberforce, OH
•  Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA
•  Delaware State University, Dover, DE
•  Hampton University, Hampton, VA
•  Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, MO
•  Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
•  University of the District of Columbia Washington, D.C.
•  Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
•  Jackson State University, Jackson, MI
•  Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY
• North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, NC
It takes coordination and planning to have a successful and expanding program like Innovative Learning. Puthumana explained, “The first step to developing any Verizon Innovative Learning program is research so that we can identify a problem and design a way to solve for it. 
From there, we partner with organizations who can develop curriculum and execute our programs - in this instance, it was Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The partners then go out in the community to recruit students into the program and then we pilot. After we pilot a program, we assess it and then refine and scale.” 
“Over the last two years, we have seen firsthand the positive impact that exposing new technologies and providing ongoing mentorship has had on the minority males in this program,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, director of education for the Verizon Foundation. “Our university partners and the resources they bring to the table are helping these young men realize their potential in becoming the change-makers of tomorrow’s tech-driven economy.”
At the end of July, the Verizon Foundation will host a conference in San Francisco for 100 of the top performing students in the program that will inspire them to become leaders in emerging technology trends like wearable technology, virtual reality, 3D printing and the Internet of Things.  Students will hear from industry professionals on the importance of minority males in the Silicon Valley ecosystem, and participate in hands-on experiential activities at the Verizon Innovation Center, Lucasfilm, Levi’s Stadium and Auto Desk.
In addition to Verizon funding the programs, it also creates and administers them in partnership with leading nonprofits—measuring the impact of their work to further refine their programs to ensure that the Innovative Learning program is making a difference and having an impact on STEM recruitment. “Since its launch, we have learned a great deal and are continuously refining the program,” Puthumana explained. “Earlier this year, we gathered participating universities for a meeting to discuss challenges and best practices. We have created a community where the universities can learn from one another and really refine their approach to working with these gifted students.  We are planning to standardize the curriculum across campuses in the coming year, focusing on next generation technology.”
Of the students that have participated in the Verizon Innovative Learning program to date, 64 percent say they are more interested in attending college, 53 percent report that they are more interested in STEM careers and 47 percent feel more confident in what they can do.
This year, Verizon launched #weneedmore, an effort to bring more attention to the critical need for more kids to see the world of possibilities waiting for them in STEM fields. Not just for their benefit, but because the world needs them—their brains, their creativity and their experiences—to create the solutions that will make our world a better place.
In 2017, these Innovative Learning opportunities spread beyond the traditional classroom. Through the minority males and girls in tech programs, African-American and Latino boys from urban communities, and girls from rural areas, attended camps and summits where they spent weeks at a time fully immersed in STEM. The students left these experiences with mentors who continued to coach them through the year and with new interests for everything from coding to robotics. 
Under guidance from Innovative Learning design thinking, high schoolers and their teachers paired up with local businesses to create tech-related solutions. At retail learning labs, 8-12-year-olds took part in hour-long workshops inside Verizon stores, and had a chance to design their own emojis and test out 3D printing. 
The effect of giving kids access to top-notch technology and training runs far deeper than just raising their test scores. It gives them the confidence to dream big about their futures. “What I want to do when I grow up is become a NASA Engineer,” said Danielle, who participated in a girls’ in tech camp in Martinsville, Virginia. Said fellow participant Arianna, “I want to be a doctor.
“I don’t think we realize how important access is until we know someone who doesn’t have it,” said instructional coach Dawn Martesi of Neil A. Armstrong Middle School outside Levittown, Pennsylvania.
At schools like Armstrong—and middle schools in underserved communities across the U.S.—Verizon Innovative Learning is bridging the digital divide for kids by providing tablets, data plans and teacher training for integrating technology into the classroom. And it’s working: Said Martesi, “Being a Verizon Innovative Learning school is absolutely leveling the playing field.” 

Healthy Nutrition App Launched by LA Plaza and Pepsico 

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes and the Pepsico Foundation have taken their seven-year healthy lifestyle garden and culinary program on the road with the launch of LA Troka ¡Sembrando Cultura y Nutrición!, a new mobile classroom with an initial stop at Para Los Niños – Evelyn Thurman Gratts Primary School.  A group of children ages four to six participated in the LA Plaza culinary lesson.  
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a center of Mexican American culture offering interactive exhibits and programs engaging visitors of all backgrounds to explore and contribute to the ongoing story of Mexican Americans in Los Angeles and beyond. Located near the site where Los Angeles was founded in 1781, LA Plaza’s mission is to celebrate and cultivate an appreciation for the enduring and evolving influence of Mexican American culture, with a specific focus on the unique Mexican American experience in Los Angeles and Southern California. 
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation works with non-profit partners to develop innovative, sustainable solutions that address challenges in underserved communities around the world.  The Foundation, along with PepsiCo and its employees, seeks to catalyze efforts that advance our Performance with Purpose 2025 goals related to increasing access to nutritious servings, providing access to safe water, partnering to increase recycling rates and enabling young women to progress through school and be successful in the workforce.
LA Troka is a mobile teaching garden that takes the health and nutrition lessons to schools and communities of Los Angeles. The multicolored mobile art display, created by Boyle Heights artist Ernesto Yerena Montejano, carry the necessary tools for gardening and culinary activities that are centered around nutrition, history and cultural education. The LA Troka program engages students through an inquiry-based curriculum featuring hands-on activity stations that teach and inspire curiosity through multi-sensory experiences. The mobile unit empowers student participants to learn about culture and the nutritional value of indigenous fruits and vegetables, explore affordable nutrition and practice healthy choices beyond the mobile experience. 
The mobile program builds on the existing Garden and Culinary Program established at LA Plaza by the Pepsico Foundation in 2011.  Nearly 40,000 students have visited the LA Plaza garden to participate in free hands-on workshops that teach children how to grow fruits and vegetables at home and how to make healthful snacks.  The new mobile program will extend the reach of the program by engaging 4,000 students annually at local schools, libraries and community centers. It also continues LA Plaza’s mission of connecting culture with wellness and health while encouraging the community to reconnect to its roots.   

“Everyone Can Code” Program Launched in Chicago Schools and City Colleges

The app economy has generated more than 1.5 million jobs in the U.S. and more than 64,000 jobs in Illinois alone. The demand for coding skills continues to grow with more than 500,000 programming and coding positions available in the U.S. as of August 2017. Since the launch of the App Store in 2008, U.S. app developers have earned over $16 billion in App Store sales. Now, Apple is working with the city of Chicago to bring coding opportunities to Chicago’s nearly 500,000 students through a citywide expansion of Apple’s Everyone Can Code program.
The initiative in Chicago was designed in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago, local businesses and non-profit organizations. Together, Apple and local organizations are hoping to expand opportunities for students to build the skills they need to pursue careers in the app economy by becoming proficient in Swift, Apple’s easy-to-learn programming language that empowers anyone to create world-class apps.
“At Apple we believe coding is an essential skill, so we’ve designed Everyone Can Code to give everyone the power to learn, write and teach coding,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. 
“We’re thrilled to be working with our friends and partners in the great city of Chicago on this initiative. Together with Mayor Emanuel, Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges, we look forward to helping students learn Swift and build the skills they need to thrive in today’s workplace.”
Starting this spring, Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago will expand Everyone Can Code curriculum and materials to reach students citywide. For the first time, City Colleges of Chicago will offer the innovative App Development with Swift curriculum, helping students build skills around coding and app development.
Chicago Public Schools will also offer new Swift Coding Clubs, which bring coding education to after school programs. Swift Coding Clubs guide students through key coding concepts, introduce them to Swift and walk them through an app design and prototyping project.
Apple and local businesses, including GE Transportation, IBM, Jellyvision, Lextech, McDonald’s, Rush University Medical Center, Ulta Beauty and United Airlines will add volunteer opportunities for their Chicago-based employees to help support students. 
Additionally, 1871, One Summer Chicago and other Chicago-based businesses will offer more than 100 internships to high school and college students who have completed the Everyone Can Code curriculum.
“Coding is not just a critical skill in today’s economy, it is another outlet for students to expand their horizons and explore their creativity,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Everyone Can Code is an incredible opportunity for young people across Chicago to learn the language of the future, sharpen their minds and develop the skill sets needed to compete and win in the 21st century.” •