Technology Academy students set to graduate June 4

On June 4, eleven area high school students will receive Certificates of Graduation for completing an intensive information technology training program called the Information Technology Academy (ITA).

ITA is a four-year pre-college program that provides hands-on training and access to technology for talented students of color and economically disadvantaged students attending Madison public schools. During their four-year ITA experience, the students meet bi-weekly during the academic year to learn Web design, animation, graphic design and other technology skills. They also participate in two-week Technology Training Camps in the summer, hone their technical skills in short-term internships, and strengthen their leadership skills through community service projects.

Their learning and development is further enhanced through matches with mentors, who help guide and support students during their involvement with the program.

“ITA changed every thing,” says Michael Ntambi, a West High School student in his third year in the program. “I think about technology differently. It changed my perspective about a lot of things, about how things work. Before I didn’t even know what the inside of a computer looked like.”

The graduation event will be held on Saturday, June 4 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Ameritech Lounge at The Pyle Center, 702 Langdon Street, Madison. The program will include a keynote address by Linda D. Oakley, associate professor of nursing from the UW School of Nursing.

Ten of this year’s graduating class members are going on to attend higher education institutions this fall. To date, 13 students have graduated from the IT Academy, and 12 of them are now enrolled in the UW System or other post-secondary educational institutions.

ITA is made possible through the Division of Information Technology (DoIT), the UW–Madison PEOPLE program, Berbee, Dell Computers and many other sponsors. For more information about ITA or the graduation program, contact Erica Laughlin at (608) 265-2408.