Dev Catalyst Alumni Spotlight: Steven Prescott, SP Creative
Steven Prescott is a standout alumnus of Dev Catalyst. Prescott began the program in 2013 under Vicki Deloach’s computer class at Madison Academic Magnet High School. The program was new to both West Tennessee and Prescott, but the product of a semester of work would lead to lifelong impacts.
Dev Catalyst was a brainchild of the founders at theCO who noticed a need for educational development.
For Prescott, Dev Catalyst created friendships and freedom.
Dev Catalyst Students Are Leaders in Our TechHire City
Jackson, Tennessee, along with seventy-two other communities across the nation, is a TechHire city. But what does that mean? For CO:member and local business owner Austin Thompson and theCO’s Dev Catalyst program, it means an opportunity to create opportunity for young tech talent in the area.
The TechHire initiative was created by the Obama Administration in 2015. The project, however, lives on today. Its main mission is to support the growing technology fields in the nation. Cities selected have shown dedication to supporting training for technology-related jobs and companies that strive to create a more diverse workplace. The initiative is currently under Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit organization designed to empower Americans in today's economic world.
Early College High: Skills Worth Hiring
Early College High is leading the way in developing skills worth hiring in today’s tech era. Linda Thomason’s computer coding class is something special. High school students are acquiring an indescribable desire for code through Dev Catalyst, a technology education program offered by theCO.
School Makerspaces Matter
Liberty Tech students were peacefully assembled together, awaiting their latest creation around a laser engraver in the school’s makerspace. Written on a sheet of paper next to the laser were the dimensions for a pegboard with a purpose.
“We're working on pegboards for therapists to help kids with disabilities ,” Liberty manufacturing science student Austin Vande Zande explained, “[to] strengthen their hands and have them be more hands-on. ”
These teens were using their resources for good.
Happy Socktober
Socktober, an invention of word play and a West Tennessee man’s good heart is ready for a sixth season. Brad Montague is the creator Kid President and the guy who put the sock in Socktober.
Celebrating Three Years of Dev Catalyst
Dev Catalyst, formerly known as CO:de Catalyst, is an initiative to encourage growth of the West Tennessee region by providing web coding instruction to high school students in much needed areas. The program recently completed its third year with its annual trip to California’s Silicon Valley.