Three members of URBAN Teens eXploring Technology received a private tour of the Google L.A. office, participated in a discussion with executives Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen, and then met Google’s chairman at the organization’s Venice office.
[img]1923|right|Mr. Menjivar||no_popup[/img] “I am a coder and I’m seventeen years old,” said Alejandro to Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Google. “What advice can you give me?” asked the South L.A teen at the culmination of Google L.A.’s speaker series session at a recent fireside chat.
“Keep doing what you’re doing and you will be wealthy beyond your dreams,” answered Mr. Schmidt. “We need a million of you.”
The teen is part of URBAN Teens eXploring Technology (URBAN TxT), a nonprofit organization in South Los Angeles that creates tech entrepreneurs by teaching teens in South Los Angeles computer programming, web development, design and, most importantly, leadership skills.
Alejandro and two additional URBAN TxT students were invited to the Google L.A. event by the URBAN TxT leadership team. The founder, Oscar Menjivar, coordinated a tour of the offices for the teens before the fireside chat. All three teens agreed the video game rooms were the “coolest part of all.”
The Thursday night event was part of a book tour by Mr. Schmidt and Jared Cohen, director of Google Ideas, were here to promote “The New Digital Age,” a book they co-authored. During the intimate and insightful conversation, both authors shared their insights picked up from traveling the world and seeing how developing countries adapt to technology.
To explain the power of Google technology, Mr. Schmidt shared a story of students in Libya using Google Maps to create safe routes to school while bombings occur across the country. “You think Google Maps matter?” Mr. Schmidt asked. “It matters a lot if you are being bombed.”
As the discussion opened, Mr. Cohen was quick to explain that five billion people in developing countries soon will be joining the worldwide web as they gain access to connectivity and tech platforms. “Every country will benefit from having access to the Internet,” Mr. Cohen said..
Across the span of two hours the two Googlers, the audience, and Dr. Ernest James Wilson, Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at USC, and the moderator for the event, predicted what the future holds for us as technology becomes a bigger part of our lives.
Two main streams of consensus came out of the night’s discussion – the Internet can be a great leveler. But developing countries will struggle to adapt, and we need to open up STEM paths to kids in all parts of the country and access can gain the tools necessary for the 21st century job market.
For kids and teens like the ones in URBAN TxT, having access to individuals like Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Cohen, organizations like Google, and discussions like the ones held at the fireside chat can serve as catalysts to power them forward.
Sergio, one of the other URBAN TxT teens in attendance, knew he wanted to keep learning HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. “After hearing Eric and Jared speak today, I want to be a computer science major and then come work at Google,” said Sergio.
URBAN TxT is a nonprofit organization that encourages inner city teen males to become catalysts of change in urban communities. The organization develops teens from South L.A. and Watts into a new generation of leaders through technology.
To learn more about URBAN TxT, visit www.urbantxt.com.
Mr. Vasquez of URBAN Teens eXploring Technology. URBAN TxT., may be contacted at juan@urbantxt.com, at www.urbantxt.com, at Twitter @urbantxt or at 754.367.1033.
