Aug 3, 2015:

Each year the City of San Jose awards grants to nonprofit organizations with the ability to provide unique opportunities to youth through its Safe Summer Initiative (SSI). The SSI is designed to keep San José youth active, busy, and off the streets during the summer months. Emphasis on these services is placed in Hot Spot areas — locations determined annually as experiencing the most gang activity and youth violence.

This past summer of Bay Area Tutoring Association was awarded an SSI grant for its Codewritingkids.com initiative. The SSI grant in partnership Bay Area Tutoring Association funder KLA-Tencor and private donors was used to develop and facilitate the Mathson Institute of Technology (M.I.T) Summer Tech Camp.

The (M.I.T.) Summer Tech Camp was a 5 week middle school summer program and served over 40 students. Traditional summer school subjects of English Language Arts and Math were turned upside down and integrated into project based learning activities. These activities used computer science, computer technology and computer programming. Students were placed in small teams, required to develop an idea on how to conserve water, learned mobile application development, web design and 3D modeling. At the conclusion of the program, students presented their ideas and designed to parents, district IT staff and the Superintendent of the Alum Rock School District.