Front Row (l-r): Mike Longo, Ohio Means Jobs-Lorain County; Daniel Porter, Ohio Virtual Academy 2022 graduate; Annas Bolarinwa, grade 10, Elyria High School; Antoine Ross, grade 11, Elyria High School; Antonio Barrett, grade 11, Elyria High School; Michael Gaddy, Lorain High School 2022 graduate; Nahiomy Guzman, Lorain High School 2022 graduate
Back Row (l-r): Jeremy Cordes, Ohio Means Jobs-Lorain County; Ryan Flanagan, TECH CORPS Instructor; Dave Kelley, TECH CORPS Instructor; Luis Silva, grade 12, Clearview High School; Alejandro Rojas, Lorain High School 2022 graduate; Isaac Legard, Jr., Lorain High School 2022 graduate; Timothy Lovett, grade 11, Spectrum High School; David Payne, TECH CORPS Site Coordinator
(Elyria, Ohio) – This summer, Lorain County high school students had the opportunity to learn web development, project management and employability skills through Student WEB CORPS, – a signature program of TECH CORPS, a national nonprofit organization committed to ensuring all K-12 students have access to high-quality technology programs. Students from Lorain City Schools, Elyria City Schools, Clearview School District, and Ohio Virtual Academy (Avon) took part in the learn and earn experience.
This is the second summer TECH CORPS has offered the Student WEB CORPS program in Lorain County. The Community Foundation of Lorain County, Nord Family Foundation, Nordson Corporation Foundation, and Ohio Means Jobs of Lorain County each had a hand in making this year’s programming possible.
TECH CORPS believes Computer Science programs, like Student WEB CORPS, provide the knowledge and practices necessary for students to be ready for college, credential or career.
“Job readiness, digital literacy, and the ability to work with others all immediately come to mind as vital foundational skills for the future,” said Jeremy Cordes, Youth Program Manager for Ohio Means Jobs-Lorain County. “These are the skills that students gained while attending Student WEB CORPS this summer. They developed job readiness skills as the program provided teamwork opportunities and improved their digital literacy skills.”
“The Community Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for Lorain County youth,”said Brittany Lovett, Marketing Communications Officer for Community Foundation of Lorain County. “The Student WEB CORPS program provides students with foundational IT and Computer Science skills that are transferable once they complete high school. Working in collaboration with Lorain County Urban League, Elyria High School, Oberlin High School, and Ohio Means Jobs allows more youth across Lorain County to participate in the program.”
Through the Student WEB CORPS six-week program, students worked in teams to build websites for their mock clients. This year, there were three student teams who collaborated with volunteer mock clients. Technology professionals, James Kerekes from Ernst and Young, Tony Clark from Hyland, and Adeline Dascoli from Barentz worked with students to practice professional approaches to client meetings which ended with a full group presentation of their finalized product.
“I was impressed with how creative the students got and I could tell they were proud of the work they had done,” said Adeline Dascoli, Systems Analyst, Barentz. “The end result was great!”
“I was very impressed with the student’s capabilities and enthusiasm during the project,” said Jeremy Kerekes, Senior Manager, Ernst and Young. “They produced a professional looking website in a minimal amount of time while demonstrating an excellent attitude.”
The reason Student WEB CORPS is so successful is because of the community focus and welcoming environment its instructors work to create. The knowledge obtained in a TECH CORPS program goes far beyond technical skills.
“My favorite part about Student WEB CORPS was the way the instructors implemented creativity into our lessons, but also the teamwork,” said Nahiomy Guzmán, a recent graduate from Lorain City Schools. “To get to know all of these new people and work with them well, it really makes me feel good.”
“Some of this stuff I have tried to learn on my own but being able to have instructors to guide me through it has made all the difference,” said Daniel Porter, a recent graduate from OHVA. “I’m learning in an entirely different way, and I appreciate the value of having someone who really understands the technology teaching me hands-on.”
“When we originally partnered with TECH CORPS, they were doing middle school programming for us,” said Cecilia Render, Executive Director of The Nordson Corporation Foundation. “We are now considering new learning opportunities for middle school students who are moving into high school. Having programs for students to grow into creates a STEM success pipeline. Our partnership with TECH CORPS allows us to keep creating these opportunities with longevity.”
Student WEB CORPS is a prime example of the impact that is created through community collaboration. TECH CORPS shares immense gratitude for the village which makes its programming possible.
