Education

iD Tech & Adobe Team Up to Provide Life-Changing STEM Experiences for More Than 150 Underserved Bay Area Students

Student-produced projects tapped into creativity to cover issues including bridging socioeconomic divides and gender disparities
Feb 12, 2020 12:45 PM ET
Campaign: Diverse Voices

BAY AREA, Calif., February 12, 2020 /3BL Media/ - This summer, 161 underserved students in the San Francisco Bay Area learned video production, digital photography, YouTube channel creation, game design and more, thanks to a partnership between iD Tech Camps, the world leader in summertime STEM education, and Adobe. Through the partnership, the students, who range in age from 7 to 18—and 50 percent of whom are female—were awarded full scholarships to attend iD Tech Camps at universities in the region, including Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University, and San Jose State University. While the camps are one week long, 30 of the students were able to attend a second week of camp. 

Every student attending an iD Tech summer camp completes a final, capstone project, and these 161 students were no exception. Additionally, the students learned how to use Adobe tools in the creation of their projects, from Photoshop to Premiere Rush and more. A compilation of their projects is visible HERE. The focus of the projects varies tremendously from student to student and many used the opportunity to shine a light on social issues of personal interest to them, such as bullying, the need for better education, and representation of women and girls in the gaming community. Sample courses and projects include:

  • Course - Photo Booth: Pro Photography for Instagram
    • Project: using photography, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom to illustrate that all children, regardless of background, deserve access to quality education.
  • Course - Digital Video Production: Start a YouTube Channel
    • Project: using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere and YouTube to showcase details and statistics about girls and video games, passionately advocating for girls to claim their place in tech and gaming.
  • Course - Digital Video Production: Start a YouTube Channel
    • Project: using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere and YouTube to speak out against bullying in the gaming community.

Together, iD Tech and Adobe aim to create an ecosystem for sustained success in tech and design-related fields. According to the US Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, early engagement with STEM topics is critical in developing lifelong proficiency and interest in a variety of subjects, including technology, as well as setting students up for future academic and professional success.

A post-camp survey conducted among the students in attendance bears this out, demonstrating the benefit of programs like iD Tech Camps. The survey’s key findings include the following results:

  • 96.5 percent of participants agree that iD Tech taught them something new about the way technology can be used.
  • 91 percent of participants agree that iD Tech Camps has increased their interest in studying technology in college.
  • 89.3 percent of participants agree that iD Tech made them more confident exploring a career in technology.

Research also clearly demonstrates that summer programs like iD Tech Camps can dramatically increase the likelihood of girls pursuing careers in tech. Data from the National Girls Collaborative Project shows that women earn only 18 percent of the bachelor’s degrees awarded in computer science, despite earning 57 percent of all bachelor’s degrees overall. Consequently, according to the National Science Foundation, women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 28 percent of the science and engineering workforce. In order to close this gap and bring more women into the technology industry and other STEM fields, ensuring early access to education is critically important, and iD Tech Camps help do just that.

“Since our founding, iD Tech Camps has been committed to ensuring that all students, no matter their gender or socioeconomic status, are able to obtain a quality STEM education,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, CEO of iD Tech Camps. “In order to succeed in the 21st-century economy, mastery of STEM skills is mandatory, not optional. We are delighted to work with Adobe, a true titan of the tech industry, to help educate the rising generation for the tasks ahead.”

“Adobe is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and investing in the communities where we live and work,” said Michelle Crozier, Director, Brand Purpose, Adobe. “Creative literacy is a key skill in the future, and we believe that all students should have the access and opportunity to learn creative and technical skills, regardless of their circumstances. We were thrilled to work with iD Tech this past summer to bring these opportunities to students in our local communities, and we are so proud of what these students learned and accomplished.” 

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