Teen Summit
Good luck to Luke, Kenneth and Jasmine at this year’s Boston Teen Summit. We look forward to hearing all about it!!
Teen Summit 2014
Three young people, thirteen years of age, had the opportunity to travel to Boston this past July for the Intel Computer Clubhouse Teen Summit. The Teen Summit took place in Northeaster University in Boston Massachusetts, and included a college and career fair, collaborative cross-cultural activities, a visit to Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab and many other opportunities for educational, career and personal growth.
The youth also learned and grew through their participation in “tracks”, designed to address social issues through creativity and technology. During the week, they created collaborative projects that focused on a specific content area, such as animation, web design, robotics, 3D modeling, and/or video creation and a social issue such as expression, education, environment and health.The goals of the tracks were to: build technological skills and awareness, strengthen leadership and teamwork skills, foster a sense of positive social action, and increase a sense of self-efficacy.
The three young people who attended from the SWICN Computer Clubhouse enjoyed the opportunity to meet and work with over 250 young people from around the world and gained a great sense of cultural awareness. After returning from the Teen Summit they continue to demonstrate leadership skills and share what they have experienced with the other young people who attend the Clubhouse.
This year in late July to early August I attended the Boston Teen Summit 2014. It was one of the best experiences of my life. It was probably the longest amount of time I have ever been away from my family. At first I was like “I don’t think I can stay this long.” But the day after we got there I completely felt like I had not lived any of other life.
“I loved the Boston Teen Summit especially because I made so many friends that accepted me for who I am unlike other people. I could express myself and be weird without being called a “weirdo” or “a nerd”. I lived with people who I’ve never seen in my life and people I would never have expected to meet. The projects were superb – at first I only knew one person properly and another partially and by the end I knew everyone well!
The Teen Summit taught me to express myself, to interact with others and that in life you should take every opportunity you get because sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing! The Teen Summit impacted my life in a way that I will never ever forget until I’m an old man!”
Luke Carruthers, Age 13I loved the Boston Teen Summit because there were people from so many different places – Denmark, Australia, South Africa and many more. The environment was such a friendly one and everbody was so lovely. It was also great hearing about the other Clubhouses and cultures. And it was amazing making friends with people from all over the world that like the same stuff as you.
The Boston Teen Summit introduced me to things I have never heard of, like Arduinos. But most of all, it taught me to be more confident in front of people that I’ve never met before. It has helped my future by boosting my confidence levels and I’m so grateful to be able to have attend teen summit. It was a one in a lifetime experience and it was one to remember.”
Maria Jamil, Age 13