TechFest 2018 will draw hundreds of students from Northeast Indiana
(November 13, 2018) – High school students from throughout northeast Indiana will descend upon the McMillen Park Community Center in Fort Wayne this Friday to compete at TechFest 2018. The 9th annual TechFest event will see 568 students representing 18 high schools throughout northeast Indiana compete in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) oriented competitions and learn about college and career opportunities in northeast Indiana. “We are so excited to get this event underway on Friday,” said Event Coordinator Kurt Whited. “The students bring such energy to the day and it is so rewarding to see their interest in STEM.”
TechFest is put on annually by the Northeast Indiana Tech Coalition (NEITC), a collaboration of the City of Fort Wayne, Allen County, Ivy Tech Community College, and Atos – the city and county’s IT services provider. The NEITC is focused on stopping the “brain drain” in northeast Indiana by establishing a model of cooperation between government, businesses and schools.
Twenty-seven businesses and colleges will be on hand to introduce the students to STEM careers and higher education opportunities in Indiana. Students will also have an opportunity to participate in fifteen breakout sessions and practicing their interviewing skills with local HR professionals. The competitions this year will cover cybersecurity, materials science, engineering, website design, mathematics, programming, and electronics.
“This event would not be possible without our major sponsors – Franklin Electric, 80/20 Inc, BAE Systems, Raytheon, Questa, NIDIA, Lutheran Health Network, and Indiana Tech – and the 60 plus volunteers who help out on the day of the event,” added Tim Miller, Volunteer Coordinator.
The students will start the day with a keynote addresses from Clayton Harbeck, Senior Vice President of Healthcare and Public segments with Atos and Joel Nichols, CEO of AVID Labs, Apollo Design Technology, and Blue Pony. In the afternoon, students will hear from Blair Milo, the State of Indiana’s first Secretary for Career Connections and Talent.
Morning keynotes at 9:15 and 9:30 am – STEM competitions at 10 a.m. – Afternoon keynote at 12:40 with awards ceremony to immediately follow.
For more information contact Kurt Whited, Event Coordinator, at 446-4917