Google, in partnership with The Hidden Genius Project and TEAM, hosted over 250 Bay Area youth for Tech Slam, the fourth event in the “CS+” event series. Attendees were treated to unique and interactive computer science exhibits, including virtual reality demos, tech apparel, and athletic shoe design. Additionally, the students participated in coding activities, enjoyed a presentation on how the Golden State Warriors use video analysis to improve their performance, and attended a discussion panel featuring tech entrepreneurs and diversity inclusion advocates.
Daraiha Greene (Head of CS in Media Multicultural Strategy, Google) and Justin Steele (Principal, Google.org) kicked off the program, raising the energy of the room as Warriors champions Andre Iguodala and JaVale McGee took their seats alongside David Drummond (SVP, Corporate Development, Alphabet), Tom Torlakson (California Superintendent of Public Instruction), and Glenn Hendricks (Mayor of Sunnyvale, CA).
Following welcome remarks from Mayor Hendricks and Superintendent Torlakson, David Drummond announced Google’s $1 million dollar grant to The Hidden Genius Project to support their efforts to increase training and education opportunities for young men of color in tech.
Drummond then went on to conduct a fireside chat with Iguodala and McGee, where they shared their motivation and interest in investing in tech. Both advocated for increased diversity in tech and how their daily lives are impacted personally and professionally by technology.
The evening closed with a drawing. Attendees collected stamps throughout the day, and were entered into a raffle for tech goodies.
“Tech Slam” is a part of Google’s “CS+X” series, a program that travels the country talking to students about how their passions can become coding careers. Prior CS+X events were “Dress Code,” which explored the intersection of fashion and CS; “Hacking the Note,” which highlighted CS+Music; and “Program the Beat,” which encouraged students to see how dance comes alive with code.
For more information on Google’s $1 million grant to the Hidden Genius Project, visit: https://www.blog.google
Photo Credit: 510Media for Google