RIT and AT&T are bringing a program to Rochester to help teens learn to code. It’s called a mobile tech lab. The lab is staffed by RIT’s Women in computing group.
Students at Northeast College High School were the first to try it out. That’s near Culver Road and Empire Boulevard in Rochester. In a three week program, students will learn skills like how to build emojis, computer games, apps and more.
Kevin Hanna is a spokesperson for AT&T. He says that the company invests in programs like this one to change the face of next generation of STEM workers, in fields like science, technology and engineering.
“There’s a big diversity gap,” Hanna said. “For example, people of color are not well-represented in STEM fields. So how do we solve that problem, we solve it by bringing the program to those students.”
North East College High School’s principal Ali Abdul Mateen says his school works hard to bring opportunities to his students that they might not have otherwise.
“There’s no need for a student to feel embarrassed because they don’t have the laptop of the capacity at home or in their community,” said Abdul Mateen.
“And so we’re creating opportunities for our students that eliminate those barriers.”
Anne Haake is the Dean of College of Computing and Information Sciences at RIT. She says these classes are designed to keep a teen’s attention.
“The curriculum is designed to be really immersive, engaging, interactive, so that students see that students see that oh you don’t have to just sit here and hear a lecture about a certain syntax for a particular computing language to learn how to code,” said Haake. “They actually learn by doing things.”
The lab will stay at Northeast College High School in Rochester for two more weeks before heading to Edison Tech and Monroe High School next. It will continue until the end of the school year
Hanna says the program could return for future school years but that has not been decided yet.
