STTE Suite of Virtual Products.
Engagement. Purpose. Impact.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on work and learning environments, STTE is proud to offer new virtual learning platforms performed through our proprietary “SayWhat” app. Developed by a team of programmers, the apps user experience enables STTE to continue building student STEAM skills in these more restrictive learning environments.
Thanks to our dynamic board, our team of programmers, and a wide range of community partners, we have developed three unique education-focused products that can scale and be deployed virtually.
Our Suite of Products
News Media for Youth
In this digital era, teenagers, in particular, opt for social platforms as their primary source for authoritative news. Now more than ever, it is vital that their news outlets are not only reliable but impactful. In August 2020, STTE launched (SayWhat.TV) a news media platform built to engage, educate, and inspire youth on issues that matter.
First-Ever ENTREPRENEURSHIP in AR
STTE designed Unicorn Teens; the first-ever augmented reality business model canvas virtual workshops. Unicorn Teens is a highly effective immersive learning experience that introduces and builds youth confidence to launch their startup journey.
FIrst-in-the-world AR Science Fair
ARSF digitizes the science fair process by allowing students to submit projects electronically at (ARSciencefair.com) and display AR projects via an app. ARSF provides a platform that allows students to showcase a new wave of tech innovations with the ability to extend projects remotely, thus helping students assess their strategies’ real-time implications.
SayWhat.tv
News Media for Youth
In this digital era, teenagers, in particular, opt for social platforms as their primary source for authoritative news. Now more than ever, it is vital that their news outlets are not only reliable but impactful. In August 2020, STTE launched (SayWhat.TV) a news media platform built to engage, educate, and inspire youth on issues that matter.
Our goal is to build the next Cheddar (https://cheddar.com/) but for a younger and diverse youth population. STTE seeks to measure SayWhat.tv success through a three-phase 10X growth strategy in subscribers and followers.
Key Objectives:
- Inspire and influence the next generation
- Provide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) content to schools
- Educate and explore future careers
10X Growth Strategy
STTE seeks to measure SayWhat.tv success through a three-phase 10X growth strategy in subscribers and followers.
Value Proposition
- Secure school district partnership agreements to broadcast required Social Emotional Learning (SEL) content via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or in homeroom classrooms.
- Administer extracurricular activity for student content creators to publish on the platform, thus building community organically.
- Launch advertisement revenue stream in phase 3. As followers increase, engagement increases; thus, a direct audience for advertisers is established.
Market Size and Influence
- 1.5M Millennials (18-24) TX, NM on Facebook
- 270,000 Gen-Z (13-17) TX, NM on Facebook
- 54% of youth get news a few times a week from Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and 50% get news from YouTube
- 60% of youth who receive news from YouTube say they are more likely to get news from celebrities, influencers, and personalities rather than from news organizations
Unicorn Teens
FIRST-EVER ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AR
While schools have effective models for nurturing the academic aspect of student development, they do not have the resources to create a system that harvests students’ entrepreneurial development. Consequently, today’s youth are not self-identifying as entrepreneurs decreasing entrepreneurship as a viable career option. STTE designed Unicorn Teens; the first-ever augmented reality business model canvas virtual workshops. Unicorn Teens is a highly effective immersive learning experience that introduces and builds youth confidence to launch their startup journey.
Sustainability
Sustainability and Education Alignment: Texas House Bill 5, Texas Education Code (TEC), Business and Industry – “Entrepreneurship” course. Unicorn Teens can be administered through “Career Preparation” (Worked-based learning). Career and Technical Educators (CTE) Directors can authorize support for teacher/student participation, transportation costs and school technology resources.
AR Science Fair
The First-In-The-World AR Science Fair
There is a virtual learning gap on the horizon that must be addressed for our students to succeed—the first-ever Augmented Reality Science Fair (ARSF) sponsored by Microsoft and El Paso Electric. ARSF will introduce students to new technologies, support STEAM learning, and showcase innovative ed-tech solutions to challenges raised by the global pandemic. ARSF digitizes the science fair process by allowing students to submit projects electronically at (ARSciencefair.com) and display AR projects via an app.
ARSF provides a platform that allows students to showcase a new wave of tech innovations with the ability to extend projects remotely, thus helping students assess their strategies’ real-time implications.
Themes and Alignment
ARSF will offer teams an extension to the traditional science fair through the alignment of science fair categories into five relevant themes.
- Education - Enhance Remote Educational Experiences
- Life sciences - Solve New Healthcare Solutions
- Business - Science & Technology-based Small Business Solutions In a Virtual Economy
- Research and Applications of Knowledge
- Futuristic Thinking - Engineering Design and Testing
Impact. Engagement. Careers.
- ARSF is open to middle and high school age students from Texas and Southern New Mexico areas
- Brings together science and technology in an accessible, innovative competition format engaging students in science, business, and information technology pathways.
- Promotes interdisciplinary coursework through project-based learning and enhanced understanding of science inquiry and fields.
- Leverage science and technology integration to help students dream of becoming career leaders in science and technology.
- Enhance communication and presentation skills through virtual science fair days.
ARSF Future Goals
- Create an interactive augmented reality science fair book that will be published and distributed post-competition
- Apply for the National Science Foundation (NSF) grants
- Scale program in Texas and nationally
About STTE
Success Through Technology Education (STTE), a nonprofit organization, launched in 2018 in the Southwest Texas Borderplex Region to support efforts that develop, deploy, and advance educational programs focused on harvesting youth entrepreneurship ecosystems, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math (STEAM) competitiveness, and technology comprehension. Support towards these efforts will help prepare our future workforce to secure opportunities and meet challenges presented by our economy.
The Education and Economic Imperative to Act:
The region’s economy had been expanding and jobs were being created leading up to the pandemic crisis. Notwithstanding those metrics, the ability to attract large corporate expansions offering high-skilled and well-compensated jobs continued to be a challenge.
To prepare a more educated and skilled workforce, the following must be considered:
- 82% Hispanic population (El Paso)
- $18,200 average per capita income, El Paso adults, 25-64
- 52% of Texas graduates matriculate in higher education (prior to pandemic)
- 30% of working-age adults, 25-64, in El Paso have completed either 2 or 4-year degree, compared to 36% statewide
- Approximately 60% of the area’s students are “At-risk” and approximately 74% are “economically disadvantaged”, compared to about 50 and 60 percent statewide
Our Approach
We must address the systemic challenges to our region, noted above, through innovation. Our strategy is to inspire and engage students in STEAM based programs that build skills, inspire innovation and entrepreneurship, and build impactful contributors to our economy. STTE does this very effectively having engaged 6,130 youth during 2018-2019 through its partnerships with business, area schools and teachers, and other community stakeholders.
The STTE approach is grounded on belief that equipping our region’s students with STEAM skills will:
- Lead to a more innovative and prosperous regional economy.
- Boost (worker & employer) competitiveness and result in new ideas that will increase entrepreneurship.
- Close digital, access, and wage gaps.
- Prepare students for evolving middle skills pathways and high demand careers.
- Accelerate the closure of post-secondary attainment gaps that limit our potential.
Thank you for your consideration.
If you would like to get involved, please email Joseph Sapien, STTE Executive Director at STTEfoundation@gmail.com or call (915) 240-5571.