CCI Collaborates with FGCIA for Summer Technology Camp

Posted by Kate Blosser on

For the 3rd year in a row, the Florida Indian Youth Program partnered with College of Communication and Information (CCI) at Florida State University to deliver technology classes.  Over the two weeks, 50 youth participated in the camp, made possible through the Florida Governors Council on Indian Affairs (FGCIA), a non-profit established by Governor Rubin O’D Askew in 1974. Participants were taught lessons in game design, coding and web design from CCI students.

Students from the Leadership in Information Technology class helped graduate assistant Lucas von Hollen put on the two week camp. Topics during the week ranged from web design, Gimp, coding, WordPress, iMovie, Raspberry Pi and cybersecurity. CCI students included Ryan Mathes, Karl Berlin, Jan Fuller, Landon Stefanick, Brian Laughridge and Carolyn Reoyo.

FGCIACamp

FIYP is an intensive away-from-home experience summer program designed to promote increased high school graduation rates among Native American students, encourage students to aspire to higher learning beyond high school and provides an on-campus experience at local universities in Tallahassee. Students spend more than 70 hours in classroom activities spread across Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

“The initiative is a win-win for everyone,” according to Associate Dean Ebe Randeree.  “Our FSU CCI students gain experience teaching, presenting and communicating topics in technology that benefit the students; at the same time, they give back to the next generation creating an interest in technology careers.”

As demand for technology skills grows in the job sector, the classes aim to prepare students for their futures. Students learned modern, foundational skills. Students shared that the courses were “really interesting, I didn’t know you could do so much with technology.”

“We were very fortunate to have the FITC students working with our student this year,” said Rick Whitfield, Training Coordinator for FGCIA. “As well as the continued support of the College of Communication & Information, which has always gone above and beyond to provide our students with a great learning experience.  We really do appreciate the CCI students working with us again this year, it’s one of the highlights of the youth program and the participants greatly benefit from the teams fun teaching methods.”