An Increasingly Digital World Provides More Opportunities for Young People
Over the past year, one of the most popular places on CV’s Dobbs Ferry campus is the Technology Hub. From coding classes to virtual museum tours to gaming tournaments, everyone wants to be in the tech hub for something!
The Garden of Dreams foundation provided the initial funding for this amazing space. When Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz heard about it, he wanted to get involved through his foundation, Spidacares. His late grandmother Blossom Wright, who lived and worked at CV, inspired him, his mother Nicole, and his sister Jordan to give back to those in need through education. They donated a mural for the room, and custom gaming chairs, controllers, and jerseys. They also introduced CV to Microsoft, who has provided computers and tablets, software, and learning courses.
In June, Donovan came to see the tech hub in action! The kids did an exciting workshop with Microsoft where they coded a wrist-worn basketball shot counter to help with their shooting speed, and then got to play pickup with Donovan. Microsoft spoke with our young people about the field of data analytics within sports and the opportunities that many don’t know about. The highlight of the day was Donovan doing a Q+A with the kids and answering all of their questions. Watching their eyes light up as he talked about what motivated him and how he stays hungry was so much fun. His openness made a major impact and our young people are still talking about the day! These kinds of connections – finding real opportunity through learning and passion – are what the tech hub is all about.
