Impact

"We got to really connect with this one language that we know, which is coding. The whole experience of being able to do what I love, meet new people and learn new things made this program very educational and important to me."

"We had never used Scratch before, which was the platform we had to make the game... Seeing the growth in me and my team members and being able to witness such a change in the short period of time was really, really astronomical for me."

"I thought the program was really well laid out. There were Meta engineers who were willing to video chat with our students. The way the program was structured made it really fun, really exciting and really easy to pick up."

"I have learned that I definitely want to have a career in computer programming and IT. I enjoy making games like I was on Scratch today and I would like to have a career like that in the future."

"The chatbot we made is called StereoBot and it teaches you about stereotypes and how to stand against them. Stereotypes is a really big issue in the society today that we all live in."

"It exposes them to what the future holds for them. Having the mentors here at Meta who look like them mentor them is so important. And that excites me because it's not something that we necessarily see all the time. I love really seeing their eyes light up and seeing them persevere through the challenges."

"My students are really service oriented. They like helping other people. They like helping their community. That has transferred into the chatbot and the game that they've been working on because both are really focused on helping, in this case, their peers."

"I was closed minded when it came to Computer Science because I always thought, well I never see anyone that looks like me in that field, so why would it interest me? Then I started working on my chat bot. Wow, maybe this is a field that I can work in. Or see myself in. And that maybe I can make a place for other women to be here also."

"The most memorable moment for me was when one of our students said 'I never thought that I would be able to do something like this.' Just to think that something we've done has helped him see his potential is huge."

"My approach as a facilitator and mentor is to motivate students with eye-catching and fun learning projects. I believe that technology is not the future, it is the present!"

“Becoming a facilitator with EFTW is very rewarding and does not require expertise in coding. In fact, part of the fun is being willing to share and learn with the kids, and it serves as a powerful example for them.”

“If you are not sure yet about your passion or future career, start learning STEM. With strong math & engineering skill sets, it is quite easy to switch to another field. Those skills are applicable in many modern-day jobs. Some engineering students from my college turned into successful bankers, marketers, or business consultants after studying engineering.”

“If you are a student, get skills in STEM now so you can make a positive impact in our future. Give it a go, learning new things is fun. If you are a teacher and are thinking about becoming a facilitator, you should do it! You will get some amazing experiences and meet some amazing people.”

“There is a plethora of opportunities in welding, construction, heating and air, plumbing, and all of them require STEM education. Pursuing STEM studies will get students ahead of the curve and prepare them for whatever they choose to do after high school.”