News

June 16, 2009

2009 Golf Tournament a Success.

The 8th Annual KidsTek Charity Golf Tournament was held on June 15th. The weather cooperated and a great time was had by the 92 participants. Through the support of key sponsors including Arrow Partnership, Ciber, IHS , and ViaWest the event was successful in raising money to fund KidsTek after-school programs. KidsTek is very of appreciative everyone’s support, particularly during these challenging economic times. Next year's tournament, the ninth, will again be held at Green Gables Country Club on Monday, June 14th.

Adele Arakawa of 9News hands a lucky winner his award.

Above: Adele Arakawa of 9News.com hands a lucky winner his award. Right: a happy foursome on the fairway.

Photo Gallery

Click here for a complete photo gallery of the event with downloadable pictures.

Awards

Winning golf and lunch for six at the Colorado Golf Club was the team from Arrow Partnership: Chan Pollock, Rita Pollock, Steve Barnett, and Randy Welton. The Patton Boggs team placed second, followed by the Wiegers Capital Partners team in third.

"Closest To The Pins" awards went to Dominic Brazille, Kreg Brown - twice!, and Glen Smith. Longest Drive Men: Scott Pullara; Longest Drive Women: Kanda Pullara.

Leroy Williams, the State of Colorado's Secretary of Technology and CIO, won the scratch game lottery and received three days and two nights at a resort in Mexico.

A record of 15 women played this year and five of them won prizes.

Thanks

A big "Thank You" to Adele Arakawa who competed in the event and also emceed a portion of the luncheon program. Another big "Thank You" to Rich Liner, Tournament Director, for organizing this smooth-running, well-attended event and for doing his usual great job.

For those unable to attend the event this year, we welcome donations to continue the great work KidsTek does bringing high quality technology instruction to disadvantaged students! Please click here to support KidsTek.

May 18, 2009

Manual High Students Create Digital Yearbook

Members of the 2008-2009 Manual High School Yearbook Club worked for most of the spring with KidsTek to create a digital yearbook on DVD that was given to Manual students free of charge.”

Club members pose with Nancy Sauer, KidsTek Board Chair; Beth Lister, KidsTek Program Assistant; and Andrew Bissland, KidsTek Program Director.

Paul Gehring of Sun Microsystems was impressed: “I attended the school's morning meeting and witnessed the presentation of the digital yearbook that was created by students at Manual and led by Andrew. I've got to tell you, I was deeply impressed with the faculty, the students and the school in general.”

May 14, 2009

KidsTek Announces Summer 2009 Programs

Andrew Bissland, KidsTek Program Director, announced that KidsTek will provide summer instructional programs at the following locations:

Denver-CAMP Summer Program at Noel Middle School (Denver Public Schools)
COMPASS Summer Program at East and West Middle Schools (Aurora Public Schools)
Youth 4 Success Program at Overland High School (Cherry Creek and Aurora Public Schools)

October 16, 2008

Aurora honors KidsTek participants in afterschool programs.

October 8, 2008

KidsTek Instructor wins "After School Hero" Award

KidsTek Instructor wins “After School Hero” Award in Aurora Public Schools

Instructor Steven Kessler honored at Aurora City Council

Steve Kessler, a talented and committed KidsTek technology teacher, will be honored with the “After School Hero” award to be given by the Lights On After School organization via the COMPASS programs in Aurora, on Monday, October 13, 2008 at the Aurora City Council meeting.

He has taught classes in Aurora at West Middle School, South Middle School, and Aurora Central High School, and is in his third school year of teaching young teens at West Middle School, where he is currently leading a project

where his students are creating PowerPoint presentations of children's stories, which will be presented to younger students at Vaughn Elementary School. Kessler’s classes in Aurora have consistently allowed children to explore their creativity through technology. He’s taught classes in web page design, Internet research, creative writing, and videogame design.

Kessler strives to show kids that technology is an avenue to success in both their future education and future careers. Kessler often reminds students of the marketability of the skills they are learning in his classes. In addition, he is an excellent role model for his students-- he treats his classes with respect and care, and demands that his students' behaviors towards each other also reflect this ethic of respect.

KidsTek increases the technology literacy of Colorado’s most underserved children by providing tuition-free technology education in innovative after school programs. We enrich the existing technology curriculum of Colorado schools by inspiring a passion for technology through fun, project-based learning. Through partnerships between the technology community and youth service providers, KidsTek educates and engages Colorado's children in the benefits of technology to bridge the technology gap.

For more information, see: http://www.kidstek.org or call (303)818-1474.

October 6, 2008

Xcel and KidsTek present at annual CANPO conference

September 24, 2006

Read what entrepreneur Brad Feld has to say about KidsTek in his blog.

Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur for over 20 years. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures, a company that helped launch and operate software companies and later became a venture affiliate of the predecessor to Mobius Venture Capital.

Read his blog about KidsTek.

June 6, 2005

Targeting at-risk youths: KidsTek after-school labs provide computer training.

Rocky Mountain News
Targeting at-risk youths

KidsTek after-school labs provide computer training

By Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News June 6, 2005

A Colorado nonprofit wants to give more disadvantaged kids a crack at learning the ins and outs of living in the digital age. The Colorado Technology Community Foundation is launching a technology-education program catering to "at-riskThe new venture, KidsTek, will work with after-school programs in targeted neighborhoods that serve young people in kindergarten through 12th grades.

In 2001, CTCF invested in a similar program with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver that has since become a self-sustaining venture.

The program, operating at six area Boys & Girls Clubs, uses instructors and technology labs where kids get hands-on computer experience using desktop and laptop computers. Some 1,400 young people use the labs each month - with 6-year-olds, for example, becoming skilled at making PowerPoint presentations. KidsTek will use the Boys & Girls Clubs approach as a model and expand the concept to other after-school programs.

"We are looking to take it to the next level," said Eileen Joseph, CTCF's executive director. In each case, KidsTek will customize the curriculum to fit the needs of the particular after-school program. Girls Inc. Metro Denver, which assists girls and young women, is the first to participate in KidsTek. A KidsTek pilot program is set to launch this month at the Denver affiliate of Girls Inc., which seeks out young females in "high-risk, underserved areas."

"They called us," said Carol Bowar, vice president of program services at Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, referring to CTCF. "They were looking to expand their services with other nonprofits that work with youth." The KidsTek's program coordinator, Norbert Szolnoky, will work with the Girls Inc. here to get the program off the ground. Girls Inc. of Metro Denver already offers "computer-literacy" training to young women throughout the year. That program ranges from learning about the basics of a computer keyboard to training in Web design. "You need to be computer literate to be competitive in this world," Bowar said.

Initially, KidsTek will fund a "technology assessment" for Girls Inc. That study will look at what the nonprofit might need in the way of hardware and software for a computer lab. KidsTek will provide a customized computer-training curriculum. "The core of the KidsTek program is a customized curriculum to bring about positive academic, social and behavioral outcomes," said Szolnoky, the KidsTek program coordinator. Szolnoky will work with Girls Inc. of Metro Denver's own computer-training instructor. Aside from helping get the new program started, he will offer ongoing advice.

Local technology execs founded the Colorado Technology Community Foundation in 2000. The aim: help give underprivileged kids an opportunity to enter the high-tech work force. The CTCF has raised more than $500,000 to deliver technology programs in metro Denver. The nonprofit recently completed a study with the Colorado Community-Based Research Network at the University of Denver to identify the "digital divide" between the technology haves and have-nots in Colorado. The study also looks at the ramifications of that gap. "The technology gap is a socioeconomic phenomenon created by obstacles to access, training and utilization of computer technology," said Joseph, the CTCF executive director.

fillionr@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2467 Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.

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