On October 29th and 30th 2021, the second annual Connect for Good Digital Camp was held by Elena Branet, connecting tech professionals with young entrepreneurs and teens aspiring to work in technology. Young people were inspired by the plethora of activities packed within a 2-day spread, from building personal skills through sharing their stories and partaking in amusing improvisation and leadership workshops, to tech-enriching experiences with Raspberry Pi Pico Kits and SIMREX Drones. At the end, teens were given the chance to pitch their own green tech propositions in an Ideas Hackathon, collaborating with other young people around the country in teams and consulting from tech pros.  

Sasha and Augusta Sathasivam, two young entrepreneurs, were inspired by the bustling events of the camp, and shared the following when asked about their experience:

Over the 2 day Digital Camp, Augusta and I coded our first Raspberry Pi circuit, explored ways to resolve user pain points and practiced the power of storytelling. We found that the Connect for Good course supports young people like us, who have a burning desire to make a global impact with technology.

As 1 of the 20 female Digital Camp scholars, I have immense gratitude for this experience and the support of Elena and mentors. One of the stand out experiences in my eyes was the Hackathlon competition as it allowed Augusta and I to delve deeper into ideas and pitch our app concept to industry professionals. The feedback and information learnt was invaluable and the entire experience is truly spectacular!”

The camp is a non-profit initiative, with workshops and guest speakers attending voluntarily, and with the sole purpose of enriching young minds with the excitement of new and flourishing technology. On a wider level, the camp is part of Elena Branet’s mission to inspire younger generations to be innovative with tech. Here is a short interview with Elena and her efforts in helping young people achieve their fullest potential:

 

How did you start the Connect For Good Digital Camp?

It started with a love of tech. I am not a programmer, but I’ve been working tech industry for 25 years now and believe technology will help us to shape our future. Learning to programme or at least the principles of coding is a language that we should all be familiar with.  We now have a variety of tools that makes technology more accessible to anyone – even those who don’t know how to code. As a former director of technology evangelism at Microsoft, I have organised many tech learning programmes for young people as well as professional developers and CTOs. I have seen the magic of tech to change people’s lives and am passionate about connecting people, data and devices in smart new ways. I want to share this passion and inspire others to get creative with tech.

With 2 teens of my own, I was looking for a fun learning activity for them in the summer and wanted them to experience the joy of discovery that I remembered from summer camps in the U.S. that I had as a teen.  I didn’t find anything in the UK, that was affordable, so I created the Digital Camp programme in 2018 as a non-profit initiative. 

What is your ultimate goal in organising such events?

My goal is to make tech fun and relevant for teens and to help students to achieve their goals in building digital, entrepreneurial skills and working experiences.

What is your favourite part?

My favourite part of doing this is watching students grow through the Digital Camp and Digital Incubator (a follow-up mentorship program from the Camp) – from starting out with no experience to launching their first projects, making new friends, and getting their securing their first-choice jobs due to the new skills they’ve built.

Any tips for teens who are thinking about working in tech? 

My advice to students is to take every opportunity to discover and learn something new – every day.  Imagine the world you want to create and the future you want for yourself.  Be specific and write it down. You have the power to build this by developing your skills and connecting with others to help you get there.

If you want to work in tech, connect with professionals in the field and learn about different jobs available and the skills required.  Play with different types of tech, build projects, and get involved in groups that you can learn from. Find a mentor that can support you in finding work experience and achieving your learning goals.

 

Elena continues to inspire teenagers every day, with projects such as the Digital Camp, Digital Incubator, AI courses for girls in STEM, and so much more.

If you are between 14-19 years of age, sign up for the next Digital Camp by Wednesday 24th November at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/digital-camp-nov-27-2021-tickets-178277190877