DiversiTech will be holding its third youth outreach program, “STEAM fwd ™: Creating socially responsible innovators” in Arlington, VA, 9:30am- 5:00pm, on Saturday July 19, 2014.

STEAMfwd™ is a platform that allows DiversiTech to curate impactful programming to build a bridge and expose future socially responsible innovators from underrepresented and under-served youth demographics (ages 14 to 18) to various aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering/Entrepreneurship, Arts and Mathematics).

Students will have the option to select from the following tracks during the day program:
1) BUILD IT! - Students will individually select a problem relevant to their interests or community and create a mobile app product to solve their identified topic. The curriculum includes an overview of concept development and introduction to creating a mobile app, led by DiversiTech Ambassador Kristin Bolton-Keys.
2) MAKE IT! - Students will gain hands-on experience with tools and machines, build leadership and community engagement skills to identify and develop their own technical solution for a problem in their community. TechShop staff and instructors will assist students in the design, production and assessment of the use of their machine.

Student/mentor partnerships will be sustained in order to further support skill development and continue exploration of new technology concepts and design solutions beyond the tech day.

Through our youth technology programming, we have also sought to increase the number of culturally responsible and diverse individuals who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact society by encouraging students to develop solutions for their communities. Past programs have taken place in the Washington Metropolitan area and Baltimore, Maryland. Participants have hailed from the mid-Atlantic region - Philadelphia to Northern Virginia, 40 to 75 students.