Tech Prince George’s

The focus of Tech Prince George’s is on the development of a career pipeline and interceptive strategies to improve student matriculation and eventual career success in technology fields.

The goal of the program is to identify and develop students in the Prince George’s County who have demonstrated a sustained aptitude and interest in IT and to cultivate their educational and career growth so that they become future contributors to the economic success and viability of Prince George’s County.

This is made possible through partnerships between Prince George’s County Government, Prince George’s County Public School System (PGCPS), institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations and private industry. Key pillars of Tech Prince George’s include the following initiatives.

STEAM Dream Team Technology Showcase

 This past summer of 2014, eighteen (18) Public Schools (PGCPS) students were divided into 6 teams that were mentored by business students from Bowie State University. Each team was charged with using technology to address some of the most challenging issues facing the County’s six Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative (TNI) communities of

  • Langley Park
  • East Riverdale/Bladensburg
  • Kentland/Palmer
  • Park Hillcrest Heights/Marlow Heights
  • Suitland
  • Glassmanor/Oxon Hill.

  View the showcase ceremony video.

Office of Information Technology (OIT) Summer Youth Enrichment Program

 OIT’s Summer Youth Program has been designed with a special sense of mission - and with a new team of professional educators, all centering around the topic of “STEAM”. “STEAM” is an acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math”, and this skillset has become an educational priority, not only in Prince Georges County, but also all across America, as we progressively re-tool to become maximally productive in the new Global Science and Technology Economy.

Industry Partnerships

 Industry partnerships are a key component of Tech Prince George’s and help to complement the educational experience of County students. In communities where the employees of major corporations live and work, we are looking to strategically partner those companies with schools in order to supplement coursework by working with students to provide real world examples of the curriculum in practice, serving as mentors to students, and acting as industry advisors to teachers.

Education Innovation Initiative (EI2)

 The EI2 program is a PreK-20 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) academic enrichment program that is grounded in advocacy for early career pathway exposure amongst under-represented students in Prince George’s County. The mission of EI2 is to provide unique access to STEAM enrichment experiences in order to incentivize progression toward the successful completion of higher education or preparedness toward entry into STEAM and STEAM related careers.

Career Days

 OIT staff sets a regular schedule of Prince George’s County schools to visit and participants to interact with as a forum for idea exchange, to provide encouragement and options in technology fields, and to maintain relevance. This provides an excellent opportunity for industry professionals to speak with students and give insight and encouragement. It also can allow the professional to gain exposure about how the next generation is interacting with technology.

College Internships

 A formal full and part time internship program has been developed for engaging active college students in order to equip students with the on-the-job training and hands on technology expertise necessary to embark upon successful technology careers. OIT has partnered with Bowie State University, Prince George’s Community College and University of Maryland University College to expose college students to corporate culture where they learn how to build, create, manage, and/or support a multitude of IT projects that range from project management to networking and cyber security.