NYC Generation Tech (GenTech) is a tech-entrepreneurship program that provides hands-on learning experiences and mentorship opportunities for New York City high school students interested in transforming the world through tech-based innovations. Funding for this project will sponsor 30 students in GenTech as they receive training in computer coding, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and eventually create an app to make a business out of.
Computer skills have become increasingly important to finding or creating a job in the modern economy. Students who aren't versed in coding skills, website design, or app development are at a significant disadvantage in the labor market. Students in low-income areas, like those that NFTE New York Metro serves, are more likely to affected due to their relative lack of access to the best software and training in this field.
In a two-week tech-entrepreneurship "bootcamp", students learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship; develop basic knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript; and form teams to develop a mobile app and business plan aimed at improving the quality of city life for NYC students. Following the bootcamp, students will build out their apps and business plan during weekly classroom sessions and mentoring sessions. Funds from this microproject will go towards software licensing, equipment, or student costs.
By working to keep at-risk students engaged in their school work, NFTE spurs its participants to graduate high school and dare to dream of a brighter future. Whether they pursue higher education, enter the workforce, or start their own business, NFTE instills an entrepreneurial mindset in young people so they can plan for success. Since 1987 NFTE has worked with over 500,000 students across the U.S. and around the world.