TECH CORPS Texas

Imagine a technically literate society, a globally competitive workforce, life-long learners, active and involved citizens, and equal opportunity learning. That is the vision of TECH CORPS Texas, and we’ve chosen K-12 schools and youth-serving organizations as the vehicle through which to achieve it.

TECH CORPS Texas is a Houston-based 501(c)3 social enterprise dedicated to enhancing education through technology in order to help ensure that today’s students complete their education and are prepared to complete in the global workforce.

TECH CORPS Texas is the only program of its kind in the state. We work to accomplish our goals through the implementation of quality technology education programs on school campuses throughout Texas, and through the redeployment of quality refurbished computers to schools, organizations, and individuals, including our proud military veterans. Since our launch in May, 2002, TECH CORPS Texas programs, computers, and/or volunteers have been in more than 60 schools statewide and redployed more than 3000 computers into schools, organizations, and to individuals.

We invite you to learn more about our organization by clicking the links on your left, and thank you for stopping by!

TECH CORPS Texas’ successful summer program, The Community Help Desk, is moving to local charter school Leader’s Academy. Beginning January 11, the program, at no cost to students, will last 2 hours a day three times a week, until the end of the school year, giving students the extended access and increased exposure to technology they need to complete the curriculum. The special curriculum designed to engage students through intensive technology education coursework, supervised learning activities, and the exploration of educational and career pathways, will prepare students to succeed in today’s technology-charged global workforce.

The school-based pilot program fits perfectly with the Leader’s Academy mission statement; to ensure the academic, social, and professional success of students through cutting edge technology, while creating a strong sense of personal accountability and civic consciousness.  Personal accountability as a part of the global workforce of tomorrow will be secured today with student participation in the pilot program, which will train young people with marketable professional skills. “We will bring professionals in to talk to the students about different career options,” says TECH CORPS Texas President, Danny Perry, “students can expect to be prepared to test for A+ level certification, as well as other industry level certifications.”

Made possible by grants from the Gulf Coast Community Services, and the efforts of TECH CORPS Texas, this program is part of a greater government stimulus plan to jump-start the economy by teaching the youth of America the relevant technology skills needed to contribute to the betterment of the individual, and the individual’s community.  “Some of the goals of this program,” explains Perry, “is to provide instruction to this particular group of students in technology based applications/careers, and define the pathways necessary to achieve their goals.”

Students at Berry Elementary love the newly implemented “TECHie Club” after school program, which allows them supplemental access and exposure to computers in an environment where technology can be limited. TECHie Club is a program initiated by TECH CORPS Texas utilizing a holistic approach to preparing tomorrow’s technologically literate workforce by nurturing and supporting elementary students today. 

This focused and collaborative effort takes place with the help of volunteer instructors. Throughout the year, students in grades 3-5 gather on Mondays and Fridays in the computer lab for an hour-long session sharing a common interest in computers. Not surprising, at this level, a student’s enthusiasm can often be frustrated by a lack of essential computer skills, such as typing, and a basic understanding of how computers work.

TECHie Club addresses these developmental learning challenges in an after-school program that is both educational and fun. Roughly 25 Berry Elementary students participate in TECHie Club’s interactive curriculum, which is specifically designed for students in grades 3-5, and focuses on the fundamentals of computer programming, informatics, and digital media. Students also learn to use the Internet as a tool, and with adult supervision, begin to self select programming and information that is safe, useful and relevant to their learning goals.

TECHie Clubbers learn skills that help them succeed in the classroom, and ultimately to succeed in a technologically-driven workplace. Students are introduced to exciting and varied career opportunities in the technology industry, and become aware firsthand that even basic typing skills are a necessary requirement for almost every job. By dramatically increasing their exposure to computers and the World Wide Web, we hope to encourage the students of Berry Elementary to boot up and harness the power of technology to grow and develop their future education and career opportunities.