JA NextGen Tech Series

JA NextGen Tech Series is an innovative series of workshops and hackathons. New to coding? No problem! Our team has created a variety of workshops that appeal to students of all skill level.

Developed and led by high school students for middle and high school students, these learning opportunities engage young people in computer science challenges, introduce the world of cybersecurity, teach coding and other IT skills, and expose them to the careers within technology. Corporate mentors provide coaching and guidance throughout, while inspiring students to consider a STEM career.

JA Crack the Code is a series of one-day innovative programs designed for middle school students to teach basic and intermediate computer science skills. With workshops like “How are iPhone apps made,” “Intro to Python,” and “Beginner Web Development,” there is something for every student, regardless of knowledge and skill level. This series also challenges participants to use what they have learned in various mini competitions.

JA Hackathons are twenty-four hour, round-the-clock innovative programs that test high school students’ IT and computer science skills. A two-prong competition planned by high school student for high school students, JA Hackathons challenge the participants to work in teams to compete in various computer science challenges. Students attend relevant workshops and receive mentorship from corporate and college mentors. All high school students are welcome to participate regardless of their computer science skills level.

Pillars of Student Success	Entrepreneurship: Moderate	Financial Literacy: Moderate	Work Readiness: High

Program Implementation	Program Grade-Level
Classroom Based	Grades 7-12

Program Sessions

Web Development in HTML & CSS

This is a beginner workshop for students who have limited programming knowledge. Students will explore essential web design concepts by learning how to code in Html and learn how to make a website.
Intro to Python

Intro to Python

This is a beginner workshop for students who have limited programming knowledge. Students will explore essential coding concepts by learning how to code in the high-level programming language, Python.

Modern Hacking

With technology becoming increasingly prevalent in our daily lives, it is more important than ever for networks, computers, and data to remain secure. In this workshop, students will explore how hackers can hack into an unprotected website using SQL code and how preventive measures can be taken to avoid this.

Intro to Java

We use websites every day, but most people don’t see the code running in the background that keeps these sites up and running. In this workshop, students will learn how websites are made and later create basic websites of their own.

Advanced HTML/CSS

This is an advanced workshop for students who have prior programming knowledge and experience working with Html. Students will explore essential coding concepts by learning how to write and implement code in CSS and add features to their websites.

Arduino MakerSpace

This is an abstract workshop which will focus on helping students working on the Arduino challenges. Rather than any presentation and lecture, this will be a MakerSpace, where students can work among others working on similar projects, so that they can receive more directed help with their projects.