In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, many websites must now be built according to specifications that allow for equitable access to content.
For users who live with disabilities these accommodations increase access to information and improves quality of life online. For web developers, compliance increases the relevancy and expertise of websites, which raises their standing for search engine result pages (SERP’s).
High SERP ranking is the gold standard that all developers shoot for so this is course is a must have. The course will provide a solid orientation to Website Content Accessibility compliance.
In a 3-hr discussion the class will cover:
Understanding the problem both for users and businesses:
How disabilities impact a person’s ability to navigate the Internet?
Which types of businesses need to consider accessibility compliance for their website?
What are the potential consequences of ignoring accessibility compliance?
A brief examination of some example website accessibility problems and solutions
Why website content accessibility compliance cannot be solved by simply installing a plugin or running a utility
Understanding the solution:
Website Content Accessibility assessment
Considerations for choosing a website platform for a new website or a website rebuild
Where SEO and website content accessibility overlap
Strategies for ensuring the accessibility compliance of your business’ website in the short and long-term
For more info, fill out form below
This course provides introductory information only and should not be considered a substitute for legal advice.
Shannah is an active Website Developer supporting local businesses in the Hudson Valley from local professionals and craftsmen to web agencies and mid-size businesses. She began her journey into World Wide Web technologies in 1998. She is well-versed in HTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL, and Photoshop. Drupal is her fave Content Management System, but she also has experience in WordPress, Zen Cart, Shopify, and Squarespace. She has written a custom ecommerce CMS from scratch, and maintains other custom CMSs for some of her client base.
Four years ago, OpenHub launched the Hudson Valley’s first Web Development Bootcamp and to this day it remains the gold standard for bootcamps in the Hudson Valley. As we celebrate 4 years of graduates, we add to the celebration with our announcement of our moving to full-time online learning.
Based on our research we have developed a local student profile that is our north star to meet the needs of our enrollees. Learning from our former students and graduates we created a curriculum that is immediately useful.
Many enrolees who were freelancers and junior developers complained of ‘being lost’ and needing support. We have had students who overcame their struggles with learning everything from PHP and child-themes for WordPress to others that needed a more holistic and full-stack understanding of WAMP/MAMP frameworks.
But what continues to make the difference is OpenHub’s large network of tech-professional community members. OpenHub’s community of ‘techies’ provide support, connections, and tips to get ahead. As a community building project, OpenHub supports collaboration and mutual support for ongoing learning to continually build resiliency, improve your skill base, and grow expertise.
What We Learned: Our physical location had some limits!
Until now, we ran our programming successfully at Suny Ulster.
However, we found the location actually set some limits that online learning removed:
Every student now has a first-row seat
Zoom Replay of class serves as a vital review to class and to practice skills
Students can share their screen to problem solve and the entire class can help
As the entire class coaches or create solutions to problems, confidence grows
With chat, questions are asked, solutions posted, and resources shared
Access issues of mobility and location were eased
OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Development Bootcamp curriculum and relationships continue to focus on the Hudson Valley. We are laser-focused on essential, in-demand skills and industry best practices. The curriculum continually evolves and updates to keep current to the demands of today’s job market needs.
New Session Beginning This Fall
Taking all we have learned and moving forward, OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Development Bootcamp will be held 100% online.
Our next successful session begins January 2020. To learn more or sign up please fill out the form below.
The curriculum consists of comprehensive courses providing a solid foundation in website development and business skills. Expect to graduate with a truly relevant and effective strategy to starting your own business as a web developer or obtaining the skills to get a professional position in an existing business.
Use our network of 3,000 tech-professionals here in the Hudson Valley to promote your self and network your way toward your next goal!
OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Devlopment Bootcamp will only be held online this session and outside SUNY’s system. (Do NOT apply through the SUNY Ulster Office of Continuing and Professional Education)
The Secret Sauce
You are not in this alone. Joining OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Development Bootcamp means you are joining a community of colleagues and experts who are available for support during training and beyond.
OpenHub is Hudson Valley’s technology hub with a wide reach to network for support, internships and job advancement.
OpenHub builds local opportunities and relationships toward a thriving and inclusive tech-driven Hudson Valley.
No prior experience is necessary to sign up.
Courses are equally beneficial whether you are a beginner or someone who is looking to sharpen existing expertise. Many beginners elect to take advantage of office hours and OpenHub’s ‘2nd go-around’ offer.
Beginners are encouraged to repeat any module they self-elect to repeat while acquiring real world skills, learning additional topics, and best practices. These ‘2nd go-around’ students become mentors to the newer students further cementing their mastery while encouraging newcomers.
All our instructors are local, experienced professionals in the field of website development and technology, and are passionately involved in growing the local tech community. Graduates are encouraged to integrate into the local Hudson Valley tech community as ‘emerging tech-talent’ by joining our ongoing Meetups and networking opportunities.
Fast Track Web Development Bootcamp Courses:
To learn more or sign up please fill out the form below.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, many websites must now be built according to specifications that allow equal access to content for users who live with disabilities that alter how they navigate the World Wide Web. This also affects search engines and which websites will be selected in the top ranking positions when searched. This course provides an orientation to Website Content Accessibility compliance and how to optimize the websites you develop.
Business Objectives, User Experience and Information Architecture.
This course will teach how to define and distinguish Business Objectives from Website Goals, User Case from User Story and Wireframes from Information Architecture. In this course, students learn how to define and plan their website for the optimal conversion to business goals.
This course covers: Conversions and Call to Actions, Content structure, website building blocks, Information Architecture, User-centric Web Development, User Case, User Story and User Journey. Why and when you need to set up your Online marketing strategy, what is the difference between mockups and wireframes, where to start with your process and how to improve it.
Students are provided with a hands-on introduction to the universal architecture of the web. This course covers website construction with HTML5 and CSS, file structure and hierarchy, design and usability concepts, accessibility-conscious coding, and website hosting and administration. Students will learn website development fundamentals hands-on by building a simple, professional-class website in class.
Students will extend their knowledge of HTML5 & CSS in building multi-page websites. Students will explore CSS strategies for managing multi-column layout, responsive design principles, and how to code a website from a design mockup. The course will also cover CSS drop-down menus, tables, forms, and embedded media.
Students will discover the power of dynamic website coding with an introductory examination of PHP and MySQL. In this course, students will implement basic dynamic functions with PHP and will hand-code a simple PHP-MySQL application to produce a dynamically-generated blog page. Students will examine similarities between their application and open source Content Management Systems like WordPress and use what they learned to migrate an existing WordPress website. Prerequisite: Website Development II or equivalent knowledge (instructor-approved).
This course is designed for JavaScript novices who have little or no experience with the language. Students will learn the structure of JavaScript – variables, scope, control flow, functions. Students will create code that interacts with DOM and adds interactive behavior to a website. The course will discuss best practices and introduce jQuery – a widely used JavaScript library.
This course examines the interplay between clear business messaging and search engine optimization. Principles covered include: Niche Service, Location, Speed, Proper Website Structure, Blogs, Target Keywords, Tags, Metadata, Google Analytics basics, Google Search Console basics, AdWords basics, Tips and Tricks.
Who Is This Course For?
Website Developers:
Demystify and master coding
Increase the value you can provide to clients on content development and website design
Know the most important keys to leverage for Search Engine Optimization, SEO
Entrepreneurs:
Understand how your websites can leverage the internet for optimal business strategy
Save time and money with website professionals you hire
Build your website for your own business endeavors
Reskilling / Upskilling:
Improve employability by developing a universally-needed skill set
Begin a new career
Empower yourself to build an effective website presence for a personal passion or business endeavor
Four years ago, OpenHub launched the Hudson Valley’s first WebDev Bootcamp and to this day it remains the gold standard for bootcamps in the Hudson Valley. As we celebrate 4 years of students, we add to the celebration with our announcement of our newest class of graduates!
OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Development Bootcamp focuses on essential, in-demand skills and industry best practices. The curriculum is continually evolving and being updated to keeg current to today’s job market.
OpenHub’s Fast Track WebDev Bootcamp combines tech with entrepreneurship.
Our most recent curriculum began January 2020 and was hosted at SUNY Ulster’s Kingston Campus. The curriculum consisted of six comprehensive courses providing a solid foundation in website development and business skills to graduate with a truly relevant and effective strategy to starting an online business as a web developer or to obtain a job in web development.
OpenHub’s in person location until mid-March 2020.
Zero Attrition during Transition to Remote Learning
The success of our program is proven by our students. During the six month program, including during the historic pandemic shutdown, not a single student dropped out.
Overnight our in-person classes pivoted to remote sessions using the Zoom platform to conduct online classes. Office hours were also added to encourage one-on-one time with mentors. Replay of classes were made available and remain accessible to graduates to review or repeat material presented during this challenging period and as continuing support beyond graduation.
Our amazing class of 2020 Bootcampers stuck with the program until the end, despite many needs to pivot and other challenges due to the pandemic shutdown.
What We Learned:
Our curriculum and relationships continue to focus on the Hudson Valley. But the silver lining to the challenges confronted during the shutdown – we found our physical location is not the limit. During this time our local Hudson Valley relationships continue to strengthen. Zoom created opportunities such as giving every student a first-row seat.
Replay of class time served as a beneficial review to practice skills and complete homework in preparation for the next class. And students can share their work or problem-solve in real time with the entire class helping or observing.
The Secret Sauce
You are not in this alone. Joining OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Dev Bootcamp means that you are joining a community of learners and experts who are available for support during training and beyond.
OpenHub is Hudson Valley’s tech hub with a wide reach to network for support, internships and job advancement. OpenHub builds local opportunities and relationships toward a thriving and inclusive tech-driven Hudson Valley.
Online classes were supported with additional one-on-one office hours and recorded classes were made available for replay during program and beyond.
No prior experience is necessary to sign up. Courses are equally beneficial for beginners as those with previous expertise.
Many participants without prior experience elect to take advantage of office hours and OpenHub’s ‘2nd go-around’ offer.
Newbies are encouraged to repeat any module they self-elect to repeat while acquiring real world skills, learning additional topics, and best practices. These ‘2nd go-around’ students become mentors to the newer students further cementing their mastery while encouraging newcomers.
All our instructors are local, experienced professionals in the field of website development and technology, and are passionately involved in growing the local tech community. Graduates are encouraged to integrate into the local Hudson Valley tech community as ‘emerging tech-talent’ by joining our ongoing Meetups and networking opportunities.
SEO instruction is Google-certified and industry experts shared best practices and latest innovations
New Session Beginning January 2020!
Our successful program begins again in October. Taking all we have learned and moving forward, OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Development Bootcamp will be held 100% online. To learn more or sign up please follow the link below.
Attention: APPLY BELOW. Do NOT apply through the SUNY Ulster Office of Continuing and Professional Education. OpenHub’s Fast Track Web Devlopment Bootcamp will only be held online this session.
For more info or to register click the button below.
How We Form the Curriculum. Our Guiding Principles:
Technology relevant to market demand:
Recent technologies, that are in demand now and relevant to getting hired
Newer technologies, that are simpler and more efficient, replace the previous semester’s module
Curriculum based on actual data, interviews and tests
Best Practices, all code must be sustainable, efficient, clean and readable
Complete, the modules build a solid and comprehensive foundation
Curriculum prepares for real life:
Real life projects and components. Graduate with a project portfolio.
Interview prep. Lectures and office hours cover ongoing interview and client preparation throughout the modules.
Curriculum combines business perspectives as well as soft skills: Marketing, Testing, BizDev, Information Architecture and UX analysis
Our Academic Team spends a significant amount of time designing and updating our programming and curriculum. Updated criteria based on current real world and real-time industry needs.
We are so proud of our graduates! We welcome you to join our community of emerging tech-talent!
For more info or to register click the button below.
Everyone deserves access to broadband, devices and digital training/IT Support.
Sign up to receive updates as we grow our project week-by-week to connect with everyone in the Hudson Valley that supports a thriving and inclusive tech-driven economic future!
In her own words, Dr. Yulia Ovchinnikova, founder of OpenHub, Hudson Valley’s tech hub, tells the history of solutions that transformed the digital divide in Russia.
She also talks about language and cultural accessibility issues between English and other alphabets and languages online.
How many tech hub founders can speak first-hand of their experience in this category? OpenHub has a valuable and unique perspective to strategize solutions for the digital divide in the Hudson Valley!
Successful programs such as after Newburgh Girls Can Code Club, an after school program and Google-certified IT Support bootcamps have encouraged OpenHub to take their collaborations with libraries, school districts, BOCES, SUNY and NYS workforce development one step further.
Introducing OpenHub’s newest endeavor:
Please be a part of our vision for a Strong and Accessible Tech-Driven Economy for the Hudson Valley!
Sign up to receive updates as we grow our project week-by-week to connect with everyone in the Hudson Valley that supports an inclusive and thriving tech-driven economic future!
OpenHub, in collaboration with the Newburgh Free Library, mentors youth in an ongoing after-school coding club based on Girls Who Code whose mission is to “close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does”.
Since the Fall, participants ages 11 through 18 from all over the Hudson Valley, gathered together every Wednesday at the Newburgh Free Library. These talented, young coders met to create projects, learn code, develop as innovators and emerging leaders, and to build strong friendships.
Participants came from the following locations (in alphabetical order):
Beacon – Beacon City School District, Dutchess County
Cornwall-on-Hudson – Cornwall Central School District, Orange County
Goshen – Goshen Central School District, Orange County
Marlboro – Marlboro Central School District, Ulster County
Middletown – Middletown City School District, Orange County
New Windsor – Newburgh Enlarged City School District, Orange County
Newburgh – Newburgh Enlarged City School District, Orange County
Challenge: How to transition an in-person, after-school program with participants from 7 schools, in 6 different school districts, and 3 surrounding Counties, to one, accessible remote-learning environment?
Coordinator/Mentor Yulia Ovchinnikova reports back on challenges and learnings throughout the process of transitioning students to meeting online.
Timeline:
Sunday, March 15, 2020, student ‘scholars’ in grades 3-11 from the City of Newburgh Enlarged School District were sent home with Chromebooks.
Beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2020, beyond providing breakfast and lunch to each child under 18, the Technology Department set up 1,000 hotspots to provide access for those without internet at home.
The district used the Google Education Application Suite such as Google Classroom and Student Gmail as the primary source for instruction and educational materials. Other applications could also be used such as: Class Dojo orRemind and for older students: iRead, iReady, Go Math, Read 180 and Math 180.
Parents, students, faculty and the school district needed to adapt to new norms, pedagogy and engagement overnight. This was a huge shift and an incredible undertaking for all concerned. The community and Newburgh Enlarged City School District is to be applauded for the vast, community-wide efforts that allowed their successful implementation and rapid response.
Yulia Ovchinnikova found several issues that challenged an afterschool program which had participants from a variety of school districts that made the transition more challenging than a remote classroom for a single school district.
Privacy and Security
In order to bring all the participants from the program together, we ran into issues of privacy and security that had been well established by the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Astutely, the school district had adopted a policy on Computer Use in Instruction as early as August 23, 2016.
The district reserves the right to control access to the Internet for all users of its computers and network. The district may either allow or prohibit certain kinds of online activity, or access to specific websites.2
The Newburgh Enlarged City School District had been a pioneer in early adoption of access to technology for its students. It is an educational norm and best-practice for a school district to limit access from the outside to a students device. Similarly, student devices use only ‘whitelisted’ resources which limit which websites a device has access.
However, this put NGCC in an unusual situation. “If club participants used their school devices, we could only meet with one school at a time,” Ovchinnikova reports. “The members of the club were from many different schools and they shared strong social connections with each other. Also they had ongoing projects in development, in order to continue their work, they needed to meet crossing boundaries of school districts and counties. This was a very frustrating problem for the students as well as for the mentors.”
“Because the ChromeBooks from Newburgh could not connect with other school districts, I tried to use Zoom, which is a free, easy to use application. I chose Zoom because it is the best platform for meeting online. The Mozilla Developers Network confirmed Zoom as #1for their proactive and responsive development. Other programs like Google Hangout which is becoming Google Meet is still in development and while privacy compliance has limited communication functionality. I explored Web Ex and Skype as well, but the steeper learning curve and depth of these programs proved insufficient.”
“However, the ChromeBooks were whitelisted and not able to access Zoom because the Zoom application was not considered privacy compliant. One suggestion I received was for club participants to use an alternative device, like a computer, phone, or tablet of a family member. This solution worked for only 70% of the students. Participation in a club that gives youth access to learning tech was now bumping into the digital divide.”
Local Issues of the Digital Divide
“The digital divide exists and it has three components – broadband, devices, and digital literacy,” declares Ovchinnikova. Students from underserved or marginalized communities may have experiences and challenges beyond those with financial resources. Access to technological devices, robust broadband connection, digital literacy and the physical space to work are among the challenges that Open Hub embraced as they transitioned from in-person to remote meetings.
Broadband vs. HotSpots
The Technology Department for the Newburgh Enlarged City School District provided 1,000 hotspots to provide access for those without internet at home. However, there were digital divide issues in access with hotspot service as well. For online streaming, broadband, in homes that could afford hi-speed internet access had signals that enabled 50 Mbs while hotspot signals were 1-2 Mbs.
Lack of access to sufficient broadband severely challenges our members to meet online in a vibrant remote classroom setting. This is not to blame the school district. This problem has everything to do with access to information being a human right. Perhaps it is time to build public infrastructure that engages all residents access to information and opportunity?
Digital Literacy and New Norms for Parents
For parents, digital literacy can be anything from a first experience with tech to learning new standards for student’s use for remote learning.
“Parents had to get up to speed quickly. The entire household was affected in this change to online, remote-learning. At home, students needed new structures to wake up on time and attend classes. In many homes, a desk and quiet work area may not be readily available. And parents had homework as well, reviewing regulations and policy to understand how devices and remote-learning was to proceed.”
“Take time to review these expectations with your child. Students are required, at all times, to respect the privacy of other participants. This means never make audio or video recordings or screenshots of teachers or classmates. ” 1
For parents and caregivers without digital literacy, the pandemic proved how important it is for everyone to gain basic tech skills. As with access to broadband, perhaps access to education is part of the basic human right to information?
Ovchinnikova closes with, “I am in love with Newburgh. Providing more access to technology and entrepreneurship programs will help people in our region become more economically sustainable. Learning digital tech opens one’s mind and future to opportunities. Teaching technology, we teach problem solving, resilience and empowerment.”
Outcome:
Classes are ongoing and without interruption.
Students and Mentors are adjusting to the new paradigm of online classroom.
Covid-19 Response. Data Privacy Initiative (DPS) 2020. Publisher: Regional Information Centers (RIC) of NY, organized under the Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES). https://riconedpss.org/covid19
Transition to online learning for OpenHub’s Web Development Bootcamp:
On March 13, 2020, Web Development Bootcamp Mentor Shannah White sent an email to her students: Web Dev classes moving to ONLINE forum. Three days later, Hudson Valley’s technology hub known as OpenHub was online teaching classes using Zoom.
March 18, 2020 Governor Cuomo announced school shutdowns statewide would go into effect and for only 2 weeks.
As a Technology Hub in the Hudson Valley of New York State, our organization has been nimble to anticipate needs and timelines to sustain our classes, meetups, and future events, such as the annual HV TechFest, planning on being held in October.
Challenges:
Overtaxed Broadband Infrastructure:
According to the NY Times article, ‘Surging Traffic Is Slowing Down Our Internet’, Ookla, a broadband speed testing service reported that median download speeds slowed by up to 24 percent in New York.The unprecedented strain on our technology infrastructure and the variance from household-to-household on the quality of connection challenged our ability to meet online and to use video to see each other’s faces.
Pedagogy (teaching style and methodology)
Mentor Shannah White shares some concerns and feedback on transitioning to online classrooms.
“At first, I was concerned about ‘How to engage students in an active learning experience?’ and ‘How to gauge lesson comprehension?’ Since my students were tech students, I assumed that we would all skill up rather quickly, and we did. But with every new system, there is a learning curve. We learned new habits about logging on, sharing screens, muting mic’s, that kind of thing. After a couple of classes, that all started to feel routine.”
Initial challenges switching from in-person to remote learning ?
“Something I immediately missed when we transitioned from the physical, in-person to virtual classroom, was the ability to see people’s facial expressions and read body language. To ease stress on broadband signals students join classes with static photos instead of video. Also, the in-person classroom had a certain ‘energy’. So when we switched to online teaching, I felt a little awkward, even a little blind like, how can I read how well my student’s learning process is going if I can’t see their body language? And there was a new feeling of claustrophobia, as I was trying to fit everything onto the screen, from student I.D. photos to the chat column to the different materials I wanted to present.”
What would be your 3 top learnings from the transition to remote teaching?
“What quickly replaced those feelings was a confidence that now all the students had an equal opportunity to see the material — to sit in the ‘virtual front row’, which brought a sense of intimacy and engagement to the learning experience. Sometimes in the physical classroom, I would have the feeling that some students felt ‘farther away’ than others. But now, I am starting to prefer the online medium because of each student’s access to a front row seat. To further engage students, I only need to ask questions. Reading body language is being replaced by listening and asking students questions. So I no longer feel blind because I can hear. ”
“In the physical classroom, if a student needed individual attention, the other students couldn’t see the issue on that student’s computer screen. However, in the virtual classroom, students share their screen and everyone can see us work-through their issue together. In the online environment everyone can learn from that student’s challenge, and even contribute, which allows for mutual learning, peer-to-peer.”
“Lastly, by recording the class, I can offer students an opportunity to review what was taught in class and process the information at their own speed, by controlling when to pause the video.”
Outcome:
Classes are ongoing and without interruption.
Students and Mentors are adjusting to the new paradigm of online classroom.
A grant was funded to allow for weekly office hours, which give students extra time, one-on-one, with their Mentor.
The enrollment attrition-rate was nearly none because of the transition to online classrooms.
There are now recordings of each class which is a new resource for student learning.
I would like to celebrate Three Years of our initiative.
It all started in December 2016 when a group of coding enthusiasts met at the Newburgh Armory and decided to create a series of meetups, introductory and advanced classes on a variety of coding topics.
The first series followed in January 2017 – Object Oriented Programming using Java.
Since that time enthusiasts and participants from three states – New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut enjoyed our events. New York State was represented by 7 Counties: Orange, Dutchess, Westchester, Sullivan, Columbia, Greene, Ulster as well as New York City.
Meetups and classes covered topics for beginners and advanced coders:
Python series for beginners
Open Data / Big Data
React – A JavaScript Framework
Digital Ocean and public clouds
Introduction to PHP
UI/UX for developers
JavaScript and JQuery
Mobile App development for iOS and Android
Information Architecture for website developers
Web Development
Web Design
WordPress
Object Oriented Programming with Java
Agile
Job Search for developers and IT professionals
InfoSecurity
Security for WebApp development
SEO – search engine optimization
Scratch and Python for #GirslWhoCode in Newburgh
And the largest coding series — the Web Development Boot Camp consisting of 6 individual courses: Information architecture, Web Dev1, Web Dev 2, Web Dev 3, JavaScript, SEO — 25 weeks of instructor led classes plus office hours / projects. In 2020 we started the fifth cohort of the bootcamp, successfully finishing 4 cohorts in 2017-2019.
I want to thank Open Hub for driving the initiative, the mentors who contributed their knowledge to the classes, and 500 community members for support, bringing new ideas, and stepping up to mentor new classes and events.
We are blown away with the inaugural HVTechFest’s high vibe. Your attendance at the inaugural HVTechFest was a great confirmation of the growing tech ecosystem in the Hudson Valley and beyond. It was great to see so many new and invigoration of existing connections throughout the region and across New York State. We are happy and honored that we were able to provide the space for people to learn and witness new opportunities for growth using technology.
The Conference . . .
Thank you for joining us Friday, October 11 for the conference portion of the Festival to explore and rethink our tech education, tech workforce development and trends in hiring the lean startup way. Thank you for your hunger and curiosity to learn from each other through the tracks and sessions. The programming committee spent these enormous hours engaging and curating speakers one by one to reflect the industry trends — global and local. We are so proud of the 40+ speakers and 150+ attendees who participated in the conference.
The Hackathon . . .
Thank you for joining our first ever Hudson Valley Youth Hackathon on Saturday, October 12. Exciting to see 100+ professionals working side to side with youth, and competing equally. We appreciate our partner AT&T who was pushing us hard to have kids involved more than we envisioned — it was amazing inspirational and a learning experience for all! We learned that our high schoolers are way more tech prepared than the previous generations. They think alike, are responsible and capable. The startup bug bit them at the Hackathon — we can expect more tech entrepreneurs coming! Let’s cultivate this spirit.
We were excited to see the youth driven to solve the employability & professional sustainability challenges. We are all aligned in our dream making the Hudson Valley a better place to live and work. Technology can be and will be a practical tool for this rising tide!
The Festival as a whole . . .
This was the first of many Festivals we plan to have in the future. This was the largest ever gathering of the HVTechies ecosystem with over 250 participants and 120+ Hackathoners attending. It was great to see all of us connecting and collaborating throughout these two days. Based on real-time feedback throughout the event, I think it is fair to say we achieved our three stated objectives below:
collaboration between youth and tech professionals
Bring the entire HV Tech ecosystem together to connect and collaborate, hire and find jobs, create new partnerships and engagements. We trust you all have a long list to follow up!
Increase energy and excitement about the HV Tech ecosystem
Establish HVTechFest as a signature annual event for the ecosystem
Please help us make HVTechFest 2020 even better by completing a short survey for each of the sessions you attended during the Festival. The list of sessions and their associated survey links are below. Thank you in advance for your contribution in helping to build an annual premier technology festival for the Hudson Valley.
