Urban TXT: Teens Exploring Technology

Coach

June - August 2022 • Atlanta, GA

What I liked

I really enjoyed the program, its values, its mission, and what they were trying to change. The overall sentiment of empowerment within the cohort to use technology to better the young boys' lives spoke to me. I found it inspiring hearing the different paths these young men came from and how they ended up in this year's cohort. Firstly, this program heavily benefitted me, both personally and in my career path. I picked up and improved upon many technical, business, presentation, personal, and other skills. There are so many skills I improved upon that it would be hard to list them all here. I learned everything from deploying a website to presenting professionally. I also saw how this program tremendously helped the boys I was working with. To Sergio, Ralph, and Junior, you three have made my summer one of the best summers I've had. And to my three boys who dropped, I still cherish that time that I had with you all. I really, truly believe that this program has encouraged each and every one of you to go out and pursue your passions.

What I wish was different

- I wish I kept those three that dropped. - I wish I was in-person. - I wish I was not on the East Coast. - I wish the curriculum was more tailored towards each project.

Advice

- Brush up on your technical and leadership skills. I cannot express how important these two areas are. - Connect on a personal level with your LiLs. Treat them as if they were your friend. - Do not be afraid to joke around and laugh, but remember to stay on track.

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Coach

June - September 2023 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

I personally enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to work so closely with members of my community who simply put smiles on my face everyday. Youth in South Central LA are in need of programs like these who will expose them to the vast amount of resources and opportunities available to them. It was inspiring to work alongside youth and simultaneously explore the world of entrepreneurship and technology with them. I feel that even as a coach I got so many benefits and professional development opportunities, such as receiving our own mentors. I also loved the opportunity to go to Riot Games on a weekly basis as it taught me much about the game development and technology industry. Overall, this experience was so rewarding and inspiring.

What I wish was different

I wish the training for coaches was more aligned with the programming of the youth, so we wouldn't feel behind and staggered in our learning process. I would also appreciate a more cohesive and timely method of educational programming for the youth, since their own learning felt a bit rushed and not necessarily ingrained in their memory.

Advice

To anyone applying or considering an offer, this is an amazing opportunity but it requires a lot of time and energy. It is definitely worth it so I would recommend that you stay on top of the development of your youth, since it is really their experience that matters most. As a coach you will shape the lives of these youth immensely and it is such a wonderful experience.

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3D Modeler

June - August 2023 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

I have had the opportunity to work with TXT for over 7 years. Starting off as a student in the program to eventually become a lead in the summer program, I have been able to not only grow personally, but also professionally. This summer, I was given the special opportunity to work at TXT as a 3D modeler. What I like about TXT is their mission to develop youth from South Central Los Angeles to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders in their community. I have had the opportunity to work with some brilliant minds from South LA and this was all thanks to TXT. Moreover, TXT does everything possible to ensure that interns expand their networks. This summer, TXT paired me with a mentor, specific to my career goals as a UI/UX designer, from The Social Institute. TXT also brought in tech professionals from places such as Google, Amazon, and Riot Games to lead workshops and lectures.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be sure to ask LOTS of questions. There will be times where you will not know the answer to something, or how to approach a problem. Use your resources and do not be afraid to speak up.

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SCLA Coach

May - August 2022 • Palo Alto, CA

What I liked

I loved how flexible the leadership team was with the coaches' time and how there was a clear goal of helping prepare everyone for the future. We often got to attend panels with engineers and other related fields in tech that helped me understand the relationship between different teams within a company. It was a really great learning opportunity for not only the youth but for the coaches as well.

What I wish was different

I wish there would have been more communication before changes were made by the leadership team. There were times when I was caught off guard by a new change and I would have appreciated if there was more transparency between management and the coaches.

Advice

Go in with an open mind and you will get out of this experience what you put into it. You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of your time to help the youth grow and it's a time commitment that extends past your 9-4 hours, but it's incredibly fulfilling in the end.

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Coach

May - August 2022 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

Seeing students grow in their both their skills and outlook on life was extremely rewarding. Although I was balancing a research position on top of a fellowship at TXT, members of the leadership team were extremely understanding of my situation and even adjusted my position to better fit my schedule. It was clear that every intern's time and effort were highly valued by the leadership team. Communication between staff, coaches, and students was seamless for the most part despite the hybrid environment. Would absolutely recommend to anyone interested in programming, education, and/or tech outreach!

What I wish was different

I wish I would have been able to meet the students in person! One of the best parts about this program is the bonds built between students and coaches. I also wish more time was allotted for breaks.

Advice

If you are from a historically underserved community, you will absolutely appreciate the skills and mindset that this program instills in their students. Although the hours are long, they are very fulfilling.

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Fellow

May - August 2022 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

As a coach, I really loved interacting with the youth and having one on ones with each team member. The experience as a whole was incredibly collaborative but also, built on communication. This means that you can't come into this program with the mindset of independent working (sure there are times but not often not) instead, you need to be able to share your concerns as good as you can share your kudos! I really loved this program and formed a connection with many of my fellow coaches, leadership team, and boys. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to challenge themselves in communication, leadership, and managing teams and deadlines! It tested me and reminded me of my intensive robotics days in high school; And, I never thought a day would come where I would compare the two but here we are :) I feel like I made a difference in the future generation as much as they made an impact on me.

What I wish was different

I wish I were able to be in person for the whole experience.

Advice

Make sure to speak up! Don't suffer in silence whether you have exams, other responsibilities, or even your off-days should be something you share with your managers/ team members. It's okay to be vulnerable just don't let it affect you without having the motivation to move forward. Be open and trust me, the process would be much more transparent and smoother.

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Coach

June - August 2022 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

- I got to work with students that are growing up in my same community. - You get to see a group of very young individuals grow professionally, emotionally, and academically within a short period of time. - You get to develop your technical skills along with many other soft skills like communication and time management. - Not only are the students' efforts and hard work recognized but that of the coaches is too through small incentives like doordash food orders.

What I wish was different

- I wish I had a 100% in person experience.

Advice

I would say if you're going into this position, go in confidently. You're about to mentor a team of young professionals and you want to make sure you're assuring them that they are in good hands.

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Cohort Manager

March - August 2022 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

To give some context I have been with TXT for about 2 summers now, I initially came in as a coach my first summer in 2021 after my freshman year & this summer I decided to return as a Cohort Manager. So I can write a double review from the POV on a Coach and a Cohort Manager if anyone is debating on applying to either role. Coach(2021): This was one of the summers where TXT was completely remote, meaning that we had the entire program on zoom due to the pandemic. Regardless of the remote environment, this was still such a great experience. As a coach you are in charge of a team of 4 high school students who essentially create their own tech start-ups throughout the summer. There are 4 roles they will occupy(Scrum, Product Management, UX/UI designers, and Developers), I had the opportunity to see my 4 boys who I personally coaches not only grow in their technical side, but in their Youth Development. This was the first time ever when I completely lead a team on my own, and to this date I miss every single sprint we had. This Internship is incredible for the amazing work these boy do. to be honest they do College level tech work at the age of 14-17. Cohort Manager(2022): This summer was in a hybrid model, so it was 4 days on zoom and 1 day at USC for each week, we also had a 3 day in-person camp week. Now as a Cohort Manager, it was a completely different ballgame, this was a role where you mainly manage the coaches in the program than the boys. Despite the hours being longer, your Project and Leadership skills will definitely grow. This is program is not only to make the boys become leaders, but for the Fellows to grow as well. In terms of leadership, I grew more from this position. I learned how to control a crowd of 40 with my voice, I learned how to push young men without completely breaking them down, and finally I learned the balance between being fun and discipline with the coaches and boys I supervised this summer. All in all, with either role you will learn so much(from leadership to UX/UI Design)

What I wish was different

Advice

Just have fun and enjoy the summer, always be willing to push yourself.

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Coach

June - August 2022 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

This was an amazing experience, which allowed me to have a tangible effect on the lives of low-income high schoolers. Through the 10 weeks you will get super close with your group, and teach them invaluable skills in software, design, business, and life. You will also learn a ton, and as someone who went in not knowing any programming languages other than Python, it was super cool to learn the MERN stack, JavaScript, CSS, and more.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to do the program in person rather than virtually.

Advice

Go into it with an open-mind, and really get to know your students!

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Fellow

June - August 2021 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

I liked that I got to grow in my management skills working with the students and that every week there was always something new to do and learn. I'm grateful for the sessions in professional development and for all the insight I have gained about the tech industry from this experience.