Share This Campaign:
The Cause: OUR Youth and STEM
Combine STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) understanding with the ability to create computer programs and you get an amazing skill set that will enable creative problem-solving, increase competitiveness, and make for A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE! This is why getting youth interested in STEM is now one of our country's primary concerns. Unfortunately, however, many students, particularly for youth from demographics backgrounds that are underrepresented in STEM professions (e.g., minorities & women), are not exposed to quality instruction in technology and software development.
This is where the Youth APPLab program comes in!
Youth APPLab combines eye opening educational experiences in STEM concepts, computer programming, creativity, problem-solving, and advocacy into one amazing an afterschool program in Washington, DC. It is primarily designed to introduce underrepresented students to computer programming, through mobile application (app) development. For two years now, Youth APPLab has encouraged African-American middle and high school students to learn and master computer programming. In this short amount of time, two students came together to form their own app development company, all four freshman males participants in our first year elected to either major or minor in computer science, and every girl in Youth APPLab has an increased interest in math, biotechnology, computer science, and/or game design. The program is powered by Uplift, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Why We Need YOU
With so many schools and afterschool programs wanting to learn more about Youth APPLab and wishing to replicate its model, this campaign has been setup to send Youth APPLab students to the 3rd Annual Digital Media & Learning (DML) Conference in San Francisco, CA, March 1-3, 2012.
This is why we need your help! Your donation will make this cross-country trip possible! And, we won't just sit in the audience! Not only will Youth APPLab students have a chance to spend three (3) days with all the major players, practitioners, and researchers in the digital media and learning field, but they will also share their own experiences - teaching and learning the entire time! This is an awesome opportunity - one that will help motivate them as they continue on the path towards becoming expert computer programmers, amazing problem solvers, and contributing members of society.
Our Role at the DML Conference:
Sharing & Replicating Success
Last year, two students (featured in the video above) traveled with one adult to showcase their app development skills and tell of the excitement and successes of the other Youth APPLab students. This year we want to GIVE EVEN MORE OF OUR STUDENTS THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY!
Youth APPLab has been accepted to co-present our learning and app development experience in two workshops. One workshop, in conjunction with Youth Radio's Mobile Action Lab, will feature the app development experience of a food access and food justice, called Go Green DC: Community Garden Edition. This android app that guides users through the process of starting a community garden, tells the perfect seasons for planting various seeds, and features the 36+ community gardens in the District of Columbia. This app will be on the Android Market soon.
During the second workshop, students will share stories about their learning experiences and their app development processes alongside David Wilbor, professor of Computer Science at the University of San Francisco. Specifically, they will help teach audience members about App Inventor, a mobile app development platform designed to help novice computer programmers create mobile apps. David Wilbor is the primary author of one of the most renowned books teaching App Inventor!
Now, how many students do you know get this kind of experience?!
What We Need & What You Get
The cost of this trip includes:
- Transportation to and from DCA and SFO airports = $300
- Ten (10) Roundtrip airfare tickets from DC to CA and back (~$300 per person) = $3,000
- Ten (10) Conference Registration fees = $700
- 5 Hotel rooms for 3 nights ($250 per room per night) = $3,750
- Food for 10 people for 3 days ($40 per day per person) = $1,200
Other Ways You Can Help
Others ways you can help are:
- Sponsor one person's entire trip (~$1,000)
- Donate airline mileage (if your airline allows)
- Share this campaign within your networks (social and otherwise)
- Donate in general to keep Youth APPLab going throughout the year
Team on This Campaign:
-
Leshell Hatley Uplift, Inc.Executive Director
-
jennifer58Research Associate