AT&T supports STEM competition
AT&T will help kick off the Downingtown STEM Academy’s first-ever, student-led code-a-thon, a weekend-long event where up to 200 high school students from throughout the region will create new software applications from scratch.
The event kicks off on Saturday, April 25 at noon, with welcoming remarks from a local AT&T executive. According to officials from the Downingtown STEM Academy, nascent, novice and experienced software developers will spend the weekend solving interesting problems by creating software applications from scratch. The winning applications will be announced at a special awards ceremony on Sunday, April 26 at 1 p.m. The Downingtown STEM Academy is located at 335 Manor Ave, in Downingtown.
While local tech experts will be on hand to guide the participants, the event is organized and run by high school students. AT&T contributed $2,000 to the Downingtown Community Education Foundation (DCEF) to support the event.
“We’re interested in helping the next generation of technology leaders hone their skills and prepare for life after high school,” said J. Michael Schweder, president, AT&T Mid-Atlantic. “We were inspired by the students whose drive and initiative made this event possible. We’re looking forward to a great weekend full of innovation and we can’t wait to see the winning ideas.”
Sharon Bader, a network planning engineer at AT&T, will welcome the code-a-thon participants and discuss the importance of programs like this for students who want to pursue careers with technology companies like AT&T. Bader is a resident of Downingtown Area School District.
About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. In 2013, more than $130 million was contributed or directed through corporate-, employee-, social investment- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T’s signature education initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring.