Digital Alliance Program for High School Students Offered Statewide

Starting next summer, a Digital Alliance program will be offered for high school students across the State of Hawaiʻi, Governor David Ige announced during the 8th Annual Hawaiʻi STEM Conference held at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center in Honolulu earlier last week.

Pictured from left: Leslie Wilkins (VP of Maui Economic Development Board), Celeste Alleyne (Director of Microsoft U.S. Citizenship and Public Affairs), Governor David Ige and Chris Cortez (VP of Microsoft Military Affairs) collaborate on a statewide Digital Alliance program.
Photo provided by: Maui Economic Development Board

A partnership between Microsoft, Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology Project and the State of Hawaiʻi; the Digital Alliance program will provide students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in computer science and/or in any STEM-related careers.

The program is designed to promote critical and creative thinking; encourage collaboration with other students; and intersect with industry professionals in various Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields.

In 2016, Microsoft worked with the County of Maui and MEDB’s WIT to bring two Microsoft Digi Camps to students on Maui and Lānaʻi. This new statewide Digital Alliance program expands educators’ and students’ accessibility of STEM education curriculum and resources.

The new Digital Alliance program will provide:

– One Microsoft Digi Camp for designated schools on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. Digi Camps offer the latest in advanced code training and help to address the need for digital education and workforce readiness.

– One Microsoft YouthSpark In Schools or YouthSpark Live program in designated schools on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. YouthSpark is a global initiative to increase access for all youth to learn computer science, empowering them to achieve more for themselves, their families and their communities.

– Microsoft Imagine Academy (free career certifications) to designated schools on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. Imagine Academy provides educators and students with digital curriculum and certifications for fundamental technology skills, as well as courses critical for success in today’s technologically evolving world.

– Azure Cloud grant for nonprofit to support MEDB’s WIT work with youth and educators. Microsoft Azure is the Microsoft public cloud platform that enables users to quickly build, deploy, scale and manage servers, services and applications across a global network of datacenters.

“Microsoft has done so much in our community and they are committed to assuring that many of you will have access to a lot of the great technology that is really defining the future for all of us,” said Gov. Ige. “And so the Maui Economic Development Board, State of Hawaiʻi and Microsoft have formed a Digital Alliance partnership because we do understand that software development and access to the latest and greatest software tools gives our young people opportunities to explore all of these technologies. In today’s world anything can be done anywhere and it really is about who is brave enough to take it on and solve our world’s challenges.”

“Microsoft is proud to support the Hawaiʻi STEM Conference on Oʻahu for the third consecutive year and to announce this Statewide Digital Alliance agreement for YouthSpark programming across four major islands: Maui, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island,” said Celeste Alleyne, Director, Microsoft U.S. Citizenship and Public Affairs.

These conference sessions and our Youthspark programming provide students on the islands with increased access to computer science education tools, training and resources. YouthSpark initiatives like these will help close the skills gap across rural regions throughout Hawaiʻi.”

For more information, contact Mapu Quitazol, [email protected] or call (808) 875-2343.

Women in Technology is an initiative of the Maui Economic Development Board whose mission is to promote STEM throughout the state with hands-on and project-based service learning. Visit here.

During this year’s Hawaii STEM Conference, participating students also gained hands-on experience with Microsoft’s Digi Camps during a coding workshop.

Over 1,000 students and teachers across the state, prominent speakers, industry leaders, and event partners participated in the 8th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference on May 1 and 2. The event featured 40+ student breakout sessions, 30+ teacher breakout sessions, 14 software competitions, STEM playground, a formal awards banquet, and exhibit presentations. The Conference was presented by MEDB’s WIT.