WHAT WE DO AT TIE DIE MEETINGS
1
Discuss a range of topics with students
Topics in the past have included:
- History of science - medical field & role Black & BIPOC played
- VR and AI
- How to design w/ equity in mind
- Innovative technologies
Podcasting
2
Facilitate Critical Thinking
Throughout -- encouraged to think of selves in terms of impact and needs at those intersections & in future academic & workspaces.
Encouraged to notice
personal needs to thrive in tech fields & to professionally vocalize those.
3
Roundtables with industry professionals
Meetings culminate in a roundtable discussion with representatives from major
technology institutions (i.e., Google, MIT, TikTok, Microsoft, Univ. of Pittsburgh
Medical Center, etc.), at which both sets of parties will learn from each other
Students -- questions, needs, ideas
Org reps -- learn additional ways to consider inclusivity
Series of biweekly think tank-style, advocacy-focused conversations on the
intersections of tech/EdTech/STEM + DEI with high schoolers traditionally
underrepresented in tech, culminating in roundtable with reps from tech organizations.
The purpose of the discussions is:
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To inform through engaging, interactive, deep-dive learnings.
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To help students learn critical thinking, and to reflect form an identity standpoint
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Deep thinking about their role in tech, STEM, and Design - how they have impacted and been impacted by these intersections.
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To explose students to professionals at major tech companies/organizations.
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To gain skills which help advocate for themselves for necessities in space where they are underrepresented so they are better prepared to thrive.
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Explore history, present day and consider the future of these intersections through
the lens of equity, diversity, and self.
OUR INNOVATIVE HOST SCHOOLS
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Tech Valley High School, Albany, NY
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Guilderland High School, Guilderland, NY
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), via its Bearing
Witness, Seeking Justice conference:
High Schools in Attendance at the MIT Conference:
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Boston Fenway High School, Boston, MA
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Hartford Public Schools, Hartford, CT
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St. Albans School, Washington, DC
A WORD FROM THE FOUNDER
"TIE DIE for high school is not just coding. It's who are you while you're coding.
Are you being heard? Seen? Valued? If the answer is no -- then what? Who do you go to, or what do you do?
It's not just designing; it's seriously thinking about what
you're designing, about who you're designing for, and why? Is it needed or
intrusive? Will it be truly accessible to the intended recipient of its use? Will you
Design with Equity in Mind? And what does that mean?
TIE DIE is also thinking and planning ahead. It brings reps from tech giants Google, Microsoft, MIT, and TikTok to talk with you so that long before you get to such environments, you would know what you need to, not just about the history of tech and innovation, but of people from the majority and minority population in relation to tech and innovation.
What do you need to know to sustain yourself in these environments?
So coding, designing, STEM, they're all a part of TIE DIE, but it's much more than
that. It's who are you when you get to these spaces, and how do you ensure that
you stay?"