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Kids Tech Summit Names 4 Finalists for National Competition

The ed-tech nonprofit has named four groups from Iowa, Hawaii, California and New York as finalists in a national competition in which students hone digital skills while working on projects to expand technology access.

Teacher among school kids using tablets in class.
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The technology nonprofit Connected Nation recently announced finalists for its national competition challenging students to lead collaborative technology projects aimed at narrowing the digital divide, according to a news release this week.

The announcement said the Kids Tech Summit competition’s four finalist groups are Pi515, from Des Moines, Iowa, that teaches tech skills to young students; Kahauiki Village from Hawaii, which builds housing for homeless families; C5 Los Angeles (C5LA), which provides leadership training to under-resourced communities; and Computers 4 People Inc. in New York City, which gives computers to people in need. Connected Nation also gave special recognition to the Carolina Youth Coalition and CASA of Cook County.

“We challenged those taking part to look at ways to enhance their out-of-the-classroom digital learning while also focusing on community service,” Heather Gate, Connected Nation’s vice president of digital inclusion, said in a public statement. “The hope is that these projects will help students grow their digital skills in new ways, while also providing a strong foundation for creating positive and proactive change within their own communities.”

“We are excited to hear that our Computers 4 People 4 Teens project has been selected as a finalist by AT&T and Connected Nation’s Kids Tech Summit,” said Dylan Zajac, a founder of Computers 4 People. “The students leading this project are dedicated volunteers, and I’m thrilled to support them throughout the process. We look forward to continuing our partnership with AT&T and Connected Nation to help those in under-resourced communities and bridge the Digital Divide.”

According to the news release, four tech team finalists will go head to head for cash prizes, ranging from $7,500 to $2,000, when they present their projects to a panel of technology experts at a virtual event on Friday, April 22.