teens: the forgotten workforce

Bram MoreinisDirector, Hudson Valley Tech Scouts

Principal, Game Face Web Design845-750-6204hvscouts.com

[email protected]

Teens: The Forgotten Workforce

HIRE A TEEN!

THEY’VE GOT SKILLS.

THEY’VE GOT TIME.

THEY COST LESS.

THEY’RE HERE.

The managers and owners of many schools and businesses are DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS over 40.

Born to a world of print, their relationship to computers can be rocky.

They are frustrated with the capacity of bad IT to disrupt operations which once ran slow but sure.

They do not feel confident in their ability to solve computer problems, and therefore do not roll up their sleeves to learn.

Business as Usual, Upstate

Simple steps become huge ordeals;

Basic maintenance, like virus protection and backups, is not performed;

Automation of time-intensive, repetitive tasks is haphazard; and

Much of the potential of computing to improve quality and efficiency is lost, and with that, economic effectiveness.

Computer Problems = Big Problems

HELP HAS ARRIVED…

HAS YOUR SCHOOL NOTICED?

28%

21%

39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

School work is often oralways meangingful

Courses are quite or veryinteresting

School learning will be quiteor very important for later

life

1983 1990 1995 2000

Source: Students in Today’s Schools, US DOE, 2003

Teens + Irrelevant Schools =

Brain Drain

Hackers

Boredom

The Cycle of Dysfunction.

Our kids are Our kids are tuning outtuning out.. The availability and The availability and use of IT in our public schools does not match use of IT in our public schools does not match that of our homes, or our places of work. that of our homes, or our places of work.

Without an academic context for strong IT Without an academic context for strong IT use at school, teens use at school, teens waste their skillswaste their skills on on gamesgames..

Undereducated and uninspired teens Undereducated and uninspired teens grow up grow up to join a lackluster IT workforce, or to join a lackluster IT workforce, or leave the leave the regionregion..

We need sustainable strategiesWe need sustainable strategies to help to help our schools meet today’s students’ needs.our schools meet today’s students’ needs.

How do we get them back?

Neo-Millennials are searching for independence and control, and the Internet gives it to them.Neo-Millennials seek control over their experience - where they go, what they learn, what they buy, whom they talk to, and how they live their lives."

Yahoo, “Born to be Wired”

Shift the balance of control between learners and the organization of school Redefine the job description of students to be content producers as well as consumers Redefine the job description of teachers as building learning communities instead of teaching 20 individuals in a classroom.

Alan November

Empowerment = Self Respect

““Without Tech Scouts I would not have been Without Tech Scouts I would not have been able to meet as many adults in the work world. able to meet as many adults in the work world. Going to the mixer introduced me to how Going to the mixer introduced me to how important it is to be sociable and interesting in important it is to be sociable and interesting in business. From this experience I have come out business. From this experience I have come out of my shell, and feel that I can do anything I of my shell, and feel that I can do anything I put my mind to.”put my mind to.”

- Jordan, 15- Jordan, 15

““We aren’t treated as kids—we are treated as We aren’t treated as kids—we are treated as adults—and people look up to us …. We have a adults—and people look up to us …. We have a say in almost everything and we take care of say in almost everything and we take care of things. When we have a problem that we are things. When we have a problem that we are unable to solve, we are taught new things that unable to solve, we are taught new things that we use in the future.” we use in the future.”

- Christine, 14- Christine, 14

The potential benefits of youth technology support programs for schools include: Improving the responsiveness of the

overall school technology support system. Improving the effectiveness of

technology coordinators and technicians, who can focus on higher-order technology issues.

Changing the school culture by empowering students and encouraging more robust technology use among teachers.

Saving money, particularly related to Total Cost of Ownership of school computing.

Benefits for Schools:

The potential benefits of youth technology support programs for local businesses include:

Cost-effective training for basic operations Cost-effective technical support, when

mentored by local IT providers Employee recruitment for entry level IT

work. Good public relations for:

1. Supporting our local economy 2. Supporting our schools.3. Supporting our kids.

Benefits for Business:

Sustainable Structures

Like School NewspapersLike School Newspapers1.1. Managed Club (“Newspaper Club”)Managed Club (“Newspaper Club”)

2.2. Credit Course (“Journalism”)Credit Course (“Journalism”)

Workgroups, not WorkbooksWorkgroups, not Workbooks1.1. Progressive Roles Progressive Roles

2.2. Peer MentoringPeer Mentoring

3.3. Extended NetworkExtended Network

The Buzzwords

Dropout PreventionDropout Prevention: students are : students are expected to maintain high standards for expected to maintain high standards for academics and professional behavior. academics and professional behavior.

Workforce PreparationWorkforce Preparation: students develop : students develop leadership and technology skills that will leadership and technology skills that will reach far beyond classroom contexts. reach far beyond classroom contexts.

Community Service Community Service projects expand the projects expand the impact of the program, as students offer impact of the program, as students offer parent workshops and technology support parent workshops and technology support for community organizations. for community organizations.

Apprenticeships and Paid InternshipsApprenticeships and Paid Internships cement the connection between local cement the connection between local effort and income, and induct students effort and income, and induct students into our economy.into our economy.

Tech Scouts Sites

Tech Scouts: 1996-8Tech Scouts: 1996-8

Tech Scouts: 1998-2000 PHSTech Scouts: 1998-2000 PHS

““On behalf of Poughkeepsie Middle School, I would like to express our On behalf of Poughkeepsie Middle School, I would like to express our deep thanks for your extraordinary efforts this past week in giving PMS a deep thanks for your extraordinary efforts this past week in giving PMS a new computer lab. This is a great improvement for our school, particularly new computer lab. This is a great improvement for our school, particularly because this lab will be connected to the library and the Internet. It means because this lab will be connected to the library and the Internet. It means all 7th and 8th graders will have an opportunity to access the Internet for all 7th and 8th graders will have an opportunity to access the Internet for research projects, as well as use computers for their homework.”research projects, as well as use computers for their homework.”

Tech Scouts: 2004-5Tech Scouts: 2004-5The Oldest Public School in NY

Gets a New Computer Classroom By John Mason, Hudson Valley Newspapers

If town officials seem to be unaccounted for around suppertime Thursdays, blame the Tech Scouts.

Clermont Town Board members, employees and other community members are gathering in the Clermont Academy from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Thursday school is in session at the town's computer lab for training in computer literacy, e-mail and related topics.

Providing training are Town Webmaster Brain Moreinis - who is also Taconic Hills' technology curriculum coordinator - and members of the Tech Scouts, Moreinis' students or former students.

The first class, Dec. 16, attracted three officials with varying degrees of computer background - Supervisor Bill Banks, Councilman Ray Tousey and Highway Superintendent Jimmy Potts.

Team teaching with Moreinis was Germantown High School junior Ben Kudria, who recently transferred from Taconic Hills.

Valstar Responds to the Valstar Responds to the Needs of Southern Needs of Southern Columbia CountyColumbia County

““Valstar donated DSL Valstar donated DSL services and routers to services and routers to The Clermont Lab, The Clermont Lab, located in the Clermont located in the Clermont Academy building and Academy building and now the first public now the first public community computing lab community computing lab based on the LINUX based on the LINUX operating system.operating system.””

Tech Scouts: 2005-6Tech Scouts: 2005-6““The Tech Scouts provided superb input about our site, with ample guidance for how The Tech Scouts provided superb input about our site, with ample guidance for how we might improve the user experience.“ - we might improve the user experience.“ - Carl Frankel, Carl Frankel, OurHudsonValley.Net

““The Tech Scouts are The Tech Scouts are professional, savvy, and professional, savvy, and

a pleasure to work with." a pleasure to work with." - Melissa Everett- Melissa Everett

Sustainable Hudson Valley

" The Tech Scouts made " The Tech Scouts made hosting very easy to hosting very easy to understand. I knew my understand. I knew my needs would be met needs would be met professionally." professionally." - - Kristin St Clair, Kristin St Clair, AAEO / Kamilika

No Need for a Digital Divide

Definition: A gap between different social-economic levels in accessing Information & Communication Technologies, particularly the Internet.

Solution: surplus machines + open source + community networks + community based opportunities + business + schools.

Next Steps??? OECD, 2001, 5OECD, 2001, 5

Support Options

Hudson Valley Tech ScoutsHudson Valley Tech Scouts: :

Professional Development Professional Development

Project CoordinationProject Coordination

Game Face Web DesignGame Face Web Design: :

Managed Web HostingManaged Web Hosting

Technical SupportTechnical Support

Bram MoreinisDirector, Hudson Valley Tech Scouts

Principal, Game Face Web Design845-750-6204hvscouts.com

[email protected]

Teens: The Forgotten Workforce

teens: the forgotten workforce

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