Resource Center

• By Michelle Martínez Vega & Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed. • IDRA Newsletter • October 2024 •

Over two decades ago, the ARISE center at Las Milpas in South Pharr, Texas, and the Edgewood Family Network in San Antonio witnessed significant events. Middle and high school students decided to help their Spanish-speaking families and other adults learn how to use computers. They called themselves IDRA Education Youth Tekies. The south Texas students taught adults in the community how to keyboard and generally connect to the Internet. The San Antonio students helped peers navigate college applications.

The birth of the Tekies was a product of IDRA’s enduring commitment to fostering youth leadership in technology, a commitment that has its roots in the highly-successful IDRA Valued Youth Partnership, where secondary students tutor early elementary children.

This asset view of students has now blossomed into a new wave of technology youth leadership programs, like IDRA VisionCoders, IDRA Digital Ambassadors, and now in IDRA Youth TechXperts, which launches in schools next year. Our faith in our future Youth TechXperts students and their technological dexterity will support them to assist teachers and educators in their schools with technology challenges.

Youth TechXperts will develop a help desk in their schools and will be guided in how to help teachers become more proficient with classroom technology integration. With funding from Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation, IDRA will launch the program in Brownsville ISD next year.

Imagine a program that not only equips students with cutting-edge STEM skills but also fosters leadership, inclusivity and real-world experience. IDRA Youth TechXperts is that transformative initiative. It is more than just a program; it is a launchpad into the future of technology and leadership for our youth, especially those from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds.

This is a hands-on, project-based learning initiative where students are the drivers, not just passengers. They won’t just learn about technology; they will become the tech gurus of their campus, offering sophisticated tech support and preparing for industry-recognized certifications like CompTIA ITF+.

By having these students in these leadership roles, just like in the Value Youth Partnership, teachers will see them in a new way because the project does not select students based on high academic grades or traditional school norms. In the program, secondary students who are considered in at-risk situations will have the ability to prove to their campus community that they are capable of leadership.

We have demonstrated that students perform well when given essential responsibilities and jobs. Through IDRA Youth TechXperts, students will gain public recognition by providing tech support to teachers, building a computing science identity that has been proven to lead to professional success.

We anticipate the outcomes to be striking: enhanced STEM knowledge, improved achievement in reading, and a higher likelihood of pursuing a STEM graduation plan in high school. More than an elective course, this will prove to be a transformative experience that changes how students see themselves and their futures in technology and leadership.

We live in a world that is dependent on technology, which is advancing at light speed, for example, with synthetic media like AI. It has been said that, while AI might not replace you in your job, the person who knows how to leverage it will. Students must be equipped to not only live in this world but to thrive in it.

Today’s fastest-growing careers are tech-driven, from healthcare to telecommunications to aerospace. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 67% of all new jobs in STEM are in computing, and it projects that computer science research jobs alone will increase 19% by 2026 (McEntee 2020).

In the Brownsville area, adult employment trends in computer-related fields fall well below the national average of 7%. In Brownsville, fewer than 1% of adults work in computer-related fields (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023).

Our participating students will experience real-world help desk activities as well as be trained to earn their CompTIA ITF+ certification (Information technology fundamentals). This certification is an essential starting point for anyone new to IT or looking to validate basic technical skills. It introduces fundamental concepts, such as hardware, software, networking, security and databases, making it ideal for those curious about IT or exploring career opportunities in the field.

For beginners, this certification serves as a confidence booster, showing the ability to grasp foundational technology concepts and prepare people for more advanced certifications like CompTIA A+ or Network+. The CompTIA ITF+ certification offers a practical introduction to IT, validates fundamental skills, and prepares individuals for future specialization, making it an important stepping stone for those pursuing a career in technology.

The IDRA Youth TechXperts course will culminate in a paid summer internship within the school district’s IT department. Students will add a helping hand to summer technology deployments or equipment maintenance, such as replacing Chromebook screens or repairing keyboards.

By working directly with IT professionals, students will gain the necessary experience to pursue an entry level technology position and further their education with a solid grasp of what technology pathway they want to learn more about.

Just as with any internship, the valuable learning that occurs can solidify a student’s interest in a field or open pathways to other STEM options. The integral component of the program will strengthen students’ STEM identity.

Learn more about the IDRA Youth TechXperts program.

Resources

Bojorquez, H. (March 2010). Supporting the Dream of Going to College Through Powerful Student Engagement. IDRA Newsletter.

McEntee, C. (January 28, 2020), STEM Supports 67% of U.S. Jobs, Eos, 101.

Montemayor, A.M. (March 2006). E-ruption! Bridging Language and Technology – Educational Leadership Across Generations. IDRA Newsletter.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (May 2023). Occupational Employment and Wages in Brownsville-Harlingen.

Michelle Martínez Vega is IDRA’s chief technology strategist. Comments and questions may be directed to her via email at michelle.vega@idra.org. Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., is IDRA’s family engagement coordinator and directs IDRA Education CAFE work. Comments and questions may be directed to him via email at aurelio.montemayor@idra.org.

[© 2024, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the October edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]