By Ben Burenstein, Parks & Rec Public Computing Center Program Administrator
TechServ Scholars is a project run by JEVS Human Services. Funded by AmeriCorps, it is a pre-apprenticeship program for opportunity youth ages 17-24. This year, Parks & Rec’s public computing centers hosted 12 of the Scholars.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills are vital for today’s work world. The Scholars built skills for career pathways in STEM and IT (Information Technology). Scholars also did the following:
- committed 1,700 hours to the program
- developed career skills while helping their communities through service and civic engagement
- worked on both “hard skills” and “soft skills,” like problem-solving and project management
- learned customer service and tech troubleshooting skills through hands-on experiences
- received certification for skills they developed
- created professional portfolios showcasing their skills and achievements.
Parks & Rec computer instructors acted as mentors to the Scholars. There are public computing centers at 25 recreation centers across Philadelphia. TechServ Scholars provided STEM training at many of them. They helped at after-school and summer camp programs. Other Scholars worked at schools and community-based programs throughout Philadelphia and Camden.
After completing the TechServ program, some Scholars may enter STEM-related apprenticeship programs immediately. Others may pursue higher education through funding provided by AmeriCorps.
On August 4, Christy Recreation Center held a culminating celebration for the Scholars. PA Senator Anthony Williams and Parks & Rec Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell spoke. Two of the Scholars talked about their experiences and their achievements:
- 25-year-old Dorothy Young spoke of her personal growth. Before TechServ, she said, typing a paper on a computer made her cry! Now she can dismantle and rebuild computers. She can use software to compose a resume or develop a budget.
- 22-year-old Markus Mitchell said he had become disengaged with school. He worked at a fast food restaurant. His interest in tech led him to sign up for TechServ. He is now weighing three different job offers in tech fields versus full-time college.
The speeches and presentation of Certificates of Completion ended. All of the Scholars who fulfilled the requirements of the program went to one of ten STEM stations they had set up. They led children to explore diverse activities, like:
- folding paper airplanes
- building Lego robots
- playing with “kinetic sand”
- building and driving balloon-powered cars
- making “slime.”
The children spent an hour playing and learning through real-life experiences. Their intense involvement in these “experiments” was clear from their rapt expressions. Also clear: TechServ can help Philly kids develop into scientists, programmers, and engineers. This program can help create the STEM-aware citizens our city needs.
The Parks & Rec computer instructors were proud to mentor the TechServ Scholars. The Scholars added STEM and sparkle to the after-school and summer camp programs. They helped keep public computing centers running and busy.
Parks & Rec looks forward to continuing this productive collaboration. The next group of TechServ Scholars will join in September.
