TECH Unleashed Monthly
A program designed for 13-17 yr olds interested in digital technology.
Meets 3:30-5:30 on Thursdays.
Cost: $100/month (price includes weekly meetings, camps, snacks and membership)
Indicate what you can pay per month. Scholarship will cover the rest.
Program cost: $100.00 / month
Cost: $100/month (price includes weekly meetings, camps, snacks and membership)
Indicate what you can pay per month. Scholarship will cover the rest.
Scholarships provided by Strength Solutions who fundraises and applies for grants to make sure these programs are affordable for everyone.
OverviewThe ProgramCost & ScholarshipsHistory & Stats
Boundless Connections and Strength Solutions are collaborating to develop a tech pipeline and establish WNY as a tech sector.
The TECH Unleashed program is for kids 13-17 years olds interested in coding/programming, augmented and virtual reality, graphic art, 3d Printing, animation, and video/audio editing, so if you know others that may be interested, please let us know or have them contact us. Together, they can accomplish so much more than on their own!
Goals of the Program:
Available to any young person with an interest
Appeal to a diverse group of participants
Blend various technology skills to be of service to the community
Participant driven – participants choose projects to work on
Character building and leadership training
Stay connected throughout the year
Interaction with young industry professionals and local companies
Over 160 hours of professional mentoring / meetings:
Each year starts with a summer camp of one week in July and one week in August at the Boundless Connections Tech Center (160 N. Union St., Olean, NY) where the main service project is selected by the participants. There are also 2-day camps during the winter and spring breaks. The group also meets during the school year on Friday evenings between 7pm and 9pm (during the school year) to continue to work on tech service projects and have the opportunity to engage with their community while developing the technical skills needed to complete the projects.
While the community service projects are the glue that keeps the group focused on developing their tech skills, participants will also get instruction on project and time management, leadership and team building, public speaking, research, and industry networking.
The TECH Unleashed participants will receive their own membership to the Boundless Connections Technology Center ($1000/year value). They are the only kids (under 18) allowed in the Technology Center without a parent or guardian. The participants will help set the tone by welcoming people, giving tours, and keeping the equipment in order which helps them interact with the community, gain experience, and become known for their tech skills.
We keep the cost of the program as low as possible. Our goal is to provide the Tech Unleashed Program to any student who is interested. The 10-day summer camp and 2-day camps over the winter and spring breaks includes lunch and snacks. The Friday meetings include pizza and snacks.
The total cost per participant is $1,200/year (or $100/month) and includes their own membership to the Boundless Connections Technology Center ($1000/year value).
Scholarships are available! Boundless Connections, Strength Solutions, Sol Epoxy, United Way, Directions in Independent Living, Fox Financial, and Dream It Do It of WNY, have combined resources to make this affordable for the young techies in our area. We are pleased to announce that we have secured enough funding to provide partial scholarships on an as needed basis. If you feel that you are unable to cover the cost of the program simply indicate the amount you can contribute towards the program.
2012/13:
JCC hosted the 1st summer camp
12 amazing young people
1 female
1 brilliant and ambitious service project
JCC hosted the 1st summer camp
12 amazing young people
1 female
1 brilliant and ambitious service project
2012/14:
Added Friday night meetings
Added Winter and Spring 2-day camps
26 active participants
8 females
Moved to BOCES
Non profit formation complete – Strength Solutions
Developed their own website
$14,000 in contributions
2015/16:
44 participants
12 females
Completed phase 1 of initial service project
Completed website for St. Josephs Church
Started a music video
$21,000 in contributions
2016/17:
Started poverty simulator for United Way
Started website for non-profit Southern Tier BBQ
Started #2sDayTechTips
Moved to the new Boundless Connections Tech Center
2018/19:
Increased participants to 22 including 10 girls
Hired 4 of the original 12 participants for various projects
2 of the original 12 are participating in TECH Launch
Moved to double the size of the Boundless Connections Tech Center
A note from the founders:
“You may notice that we refrain from using terms such as teacher/student. We recognize that many of the participants know more about specific technology than we do and so we strive to get out of their way by allowing as much autonomy as possible while maintaining a comfortable, diverse, and cooperative environment. The result is an enthusiastic and respectful group that is surprisingly productive without losing their ability to play and think outside the box. We are honored to have the privilege of working with the next generation of tech giants.” ~ Mike Marvin and Christina Lopez
“You may notice that we refrain from using terms such as teacher/student. We recognize that many of the participants know more about specific technology than we do and so we strive to get out of their way by allowing as much autonomy as possible while maintaining a comfortable, diverse, and cooperative environment. The result is an enthusiastic and respectful group that is surprisingly productive without losing their ability to play and think outside the box. We are honored to have the privilege of working with the next generation of tech giants.” ~ Mike Marvin and Christina Lopez