SAN JOSE, Calif., May 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today more than
200 local teens joined forces at United Way Silicon Valley's
GradNation Youth Summit to envision what a career in high tech
might look like and ways to make that vision a reality. Held at
East San Jose's Independence High
School, the summit is part of a nationwide effort by America's
Promise Alliance to ensure that young people graduate from high
school prepared for success. AT&T is the premier sponsor of the
national Grad Nation Community Summits campaign and participated in
the local event.
"We want to make sure all kids, including those in families with
no college experience or who are struggling to make ends meet, can
see a place for themselves in the knowledge-based workforce that
exists in Silicon Valley today," said Carole Leigh Hutton, president and CEO of United
Way Silicon Valley. "Spending time with mentors and actually
talking about coding or becoming an entrepreneur can motivate and
inspire students to pursue a STEM-based education."
The summit was held from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. and included an inspiring keynote address by
Jaime Carias, who talked about
overcoming adversity to achieve success. Carias was born and raised
in South Central Los Angeles, where he saw poverty and violence
firsthand. Now the Civic Engagement Coordinator for the
University of Southern California
Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, he motivates and
shares his evidence-based strategies with students to improve their
academic performance, graduate, and pursue higher education.
Five workshops were offered throughout the day, including:
- How to Become a Social Entrepreneur presented by Youth Seed and
Empathy
- Designing Your Own School presented by Teach for America
- Basics of Coding presented by Girls Who Code
- The Fun and Power of Data: A New Way to Discover and Invent
presented by AT&T
- App Development in the World of Startups presented by United
Way Silicon Valley's Emerging Leaders United
"We know that graduation rates go up when students are enrolled
in programs that expose them to college and career opportunities –
and how better to do that in Silicon Valley than to expose them to
different opportunities in STEM and tech fields," said Marc Blakeman, Vice President of External
Affairs for AT&T California. "We have AT&T data scientists
here today giving students a very hands-on introduction to big
data. We're thrilled to provide that kind of window into a possible
career path and help get kids excited about going into STEM
fields."
The summit is one of 100 that will be held around the country
through 2016. The summits are co-sponsored by America's
Promise Alliance as part of its GradNation campaign, a large and
growing movement of dedicated individuals, organizations and
communities working together to raise the national high school
graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020, with no school graduating
fewer than 80 percent of its students on time.
"The progress we are seeing toward the national goal of raising
graduation rates is based on communities coming together to support
and insist on better outcomes for young people," said John Gomperts, president and CEO, America's
Promise Alliance. "Summits like the event in San Jose are rallying points for communities.
America's Promise is delighted to support this effort and work with
leaders in San Jose and
communities across the country to help advance this campaign."
The premier sponsor of the national GradNation Community Summits
initiative is AT&T, whose support is part of AT&T Aspire,
the company's $350-million commitment
to graduate more students from high school ready for college and
career. The other national sponsors include Southwest
Airlines and GE Foundation.
For more information and to learn how to get involved visit
www.gradnation.org.
About America's Promise Alliance
Founded in 1997 at the Presidents' Summit for America's
Future, America's Promise leads an alliance of
organizations, communities and individuals dedicated to fulfilling
the presidential declaration signed on that day calling upon the
nation to keep five crucial promises to every young person in
America: the presence of caring adults in their lives; safe
surroundings to live, learn and grown; healthy starts and healthy
childhoods; an effective education that builds marketable skills;
and opportunities to serve others. As its signature effort,
the GradNation campaign, launched in 2010, mobilizes
Americans to increase the on-time high school graduation rate to
90% by 2020 and prepare young people for postsecondary enrollment
and the 21st century workforce. For more information,
visit AmericasPromise.org.
About United Way Silicon Valley
United Way Silicon Valley is committed to improving community
conditions by helping families with children become economically
secure, able to support their children's educational success,
physically and emotionally healthy, and connected to the community.
To drive positive change, United Way Silicon Valley helps people
help themselves by identifying critical needs, mobilizing the
caring power of the community, and aligning resources to achieve
the best results. United Way is focused on the building blocks for
a good life: income, education, and health. For more information
about United Way Silicon Valley, visit
www.uwsv.org.
About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education,
strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its
community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in
projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and
economic achievement; or address community needs. In 2013, more
than $130 million was contributed or
directed through corporate-, employee-, social investment- and
AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T's
signature education initiative that drives innovation in education
by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including
funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring.
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SOURCE AT&T Inc.