Gen X Sarah talks STEM with Gen Z Groups

By Sarah Daigle and Jennifer McCool
​At Currant Technology Group, we talk about STEM a lot.  As we prepare for the upcoming Northwest Arkansas Tech Summit in Rogers, AR on October 7th, we look back to the groups we've spoken to, the conferences we've supported, and the children in our community we hope we have influenced.​

Hour of Code
​In December 0f 2015, the Women's Foundation of Arkansas, as part of the #ARkidscancode initiative, sponsored the first ever Girls of Promise Coding Summit.  The Governor's Mansion served as the backdrop for this inaugural event, which included a portion called the Hour of Code. We were fortunate enough to be present as an instructor.  We spoke to the girls, grades ranging from the seventh to senior,  about technology jobs available in Arkansas and how women in technical careers are beneficial to the state's economy.  

2016 Biz+Ed Student Competition
The Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and the NWA Tech Council  created an event in which students from area high schools could come together with local businesses to solve real, relevant problems with technological solutions.  Currant Tech was fortunate to be a judge for the competition.  After the students received a lesson in the lean canvas model, they met with local businesses such as Crystal Bridges and the Amazeum. Students worked in teams, in partnership with the business, to create a solution that could actually be put into practice and solve an issue that the business was striving to address. As a judge, it was fascinating to watch these students' thought process and to see the desire they had to work in the business community. The team that won received a two-week, paid internship in order to complete the project and its implementation. 

Upward Bound
The Northwest Arkansas Community College has a program called Upward Bound.  This program is focused on high schools students, from lower income families, to complete their high school education and continue on to college.  The students are encouraged and motivated while attending workshops, participating in classes in a college atmosphere, and listening to local businesses speak about the opportunities in our community.  We had the honor of speaking to a group in July about the start-up business world.  Students were interested in means of communication and the possibilities and venues for pursuing business ideas they already had formulated.  Discussing the start-up business atmosphere with these students was enlightening on both sides of the conversation.