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By Nikki Cabus

JA Inspire 2024 inspires middle school students in Palm Beach County

Read Time 4 Minutes

Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast holds their annual JA Inspire visiting three different middle schools this year in Palm Beach County. 

Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast has served 810,727 K-12 students since 1981 throughout Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Hendry counties. The mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy through classroom programs and simulations that focus on financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship.

JA Inspire is more than a career fair. In collaboration with the Palm Beach County School District, the event brings together the business community and local schools and is designed to help launch middle school students into their futures: high school, college and beyond. During the JA Inspire expo which is held in-person within multiple middle schools, students participate in hands-on activities, often experiencing equipemt or tools used on the job. The experience is configurable to align with local industry and career opportunities based on the four competencies: creativity, collaboration, commuication, and critical thinking.

This year’s JA Inspire Palm Beach County ‘s 2024 events were held at the following middle schools:

Local companies have the chance to showcase their industry passion, career opportunities, engage with students through hands-on activities, and make a lasting impression on the future workforce of Palm Beach County. On the other hand, students get to connect with professionals from some of the region’s most prominent employers, explore career pathways and learn about the skills needed for in-demand jobs, explore their own interests with a variety of career opportunities, and strengthen their coursework pathway for high school and beyond.

Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast had a goal of impacting 8,600 students in the 2022 – 2023 school year. With support from organizations such as the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation and Wells Fargo, they were able to serve over 146,000 students overall! Over 98,600 students alone were reached through just three programs: JA Inspire, JA Career Speaker Series, and JA High School programs.

“I’m so happy for Junior Achievement [of the Palm Beach & Treasure Coast]. They always have the forsight to make sure they are in the schools making sure students knew all of the things they have needed to know as related to careers, academics, and relationships,” said Marcia Andrews, Palm Beach County School District Board Member.

She added, “When you begin to learn you need to kind of connect the careers with all the things you are learning in math, science, and technology.”

From the marine industry to healthcare and technology, multiple industries were represented. Volunteers gave their time to showcase the career opportunities, advancements in their fields, and the impact you could make in your local communities. One of those volunteers was John Riley III, Co-Founder of AVA Intelligence, South Florida Tech Hub member, Levan Center Cyber Range sales director, and loyal JA volunteer.

“I would like to give a big thank you to Lauren Henderson of Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast for the invitation to participate in another remarkable event for their JA Inspire program,” wrote John in a social media post. “Interacting with the students and addressing their technology questions was a truly rewarding experience.”

Dr. Eugina Smith Feaman, Principal at Emerald Cove Middle School in Wellington, shared “This is a preview for their future. This is an opportunity for them to dip their toe into different careers and different opportunities that they have for their future.

If you are interested in taking part in JA Inspire or future Junior Achievement volunteer opportunities, please visit www.palmbeachtreasurecoast.ja.org for more info on events, donation and speaking opportunities.

 

By Nikki Cabus

ModMed doubles down on efforts to empower young girls in tech with Pace Center for Girls Broward

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ModMed and Pace Center for Girls Broward double down on their efforts to empower high school girls and promote the technology industry. This collaboration seeks to inspire the next generation of female technologists and expand their horizons when it comes to career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

ModMed’s Women in Innovation & Technology, or “mmWIT,” is focused on advancing women in STEM fields by fostering diversity and inclusion within the tech sector. mmWIT is an Employee Resource Group that provides support, mentorship, and resources to empower women in technology-related careers. This program develops and enables women to lead and innovate as they grow in their professional careers. mmWIT hosts educational panel discussions, mentoring events, networking gatherings, book clubs and community outreach programs. Through mmWIT, ModMed strives to establish a strong community for women to reach their highest potential.

Pace Center for Girls envisions a world where all girls and young women have power, in a just and equitable society. Founded in 1985, Pace provides free year-round middle and high school academics, case management, counseling, and life skills development in a safe and supportive environment that recognizes and deals with past trauma and builds upon girls’ individual strengths. Dedicated to meeting the social, emotional, and educational needs of girls, Pace has a successful and proven program model that has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading advocates for girls in need.

For more than four years, mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward have worked hand in hand to champion women in STEM.

An early effort was mmWIT’s 2018 Fashion Show to raise funds for the Pace Center for Girls Broward. ModMed’s employees received a casting call and the response was amazing. As if strutting their stuff down the catwalk for a good cause wasn’t enough, the model who sold the most raffle tickets won a prize: an outfit they wore on the runway. That event raised over $4000 for the Pace Center for Girls.

Their joint efforts are designed to introduce high school girls to the vast potential of a tech career and encourage more women to pursue opportunities in this dynamic industry. By broadening the perspectives of young women, this collaboration not only advances women in STEM but also motivates them to explore the myriad of possibilities available at forward-thinking companies like ModMed®.

Headquartered in Boca Raton, ModMed is transforming healthcare around the countryy by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With our electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and our patient engagement and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, our all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial and operational software solutions. Our staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

The “Life After High School” Event: Inspiring and Equipping the Next Generation

The “Life After High School” event is a standout collaboration between mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward. Esteemed women from the technology industry come together to share their insights and personal journeys with the students. The panel discussion covers a wide range of essential topics, including effective communication skills, professionalism in the tech industry, the transition from high school to the professional world, and the art of collaboration with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Through these discussions, the aim is to provide the young audience with the valuable knowledge they need to seize limitless opportunities and excel in their chosen paths.

Rose Anderson, Career & College Readiness Coordinator at Pace Center for Girls Broward, expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration with mmWIT, saying, “This event perfectly aligns with our mission to empower girls and equip them with the necessary skills and confidence to thrive in their future careers. We are immensely grateful to ModMed for their unwavering support and commitment to advancing women in STEM.”

The panelists, accomplished women with diverse backgrounds in technology, will leverage their expertise and experiences to engage and inspire the Pace girls. Through this event, ModMed and Pace Center for Girls Broward aim to provide young women with the skills and confidence they need to flourish in their future careers.

Breaking Barriers

Girls aspiring to enter the tech field sometimes struggle due to factors such as the lack of visible role models, gender stereotypes and biases, a lack of support and encouragement, and the challenge of maintaining work-life balance. To address these issues, it is important to provide girls with mentorship, promote diversity and inclusivity and ensure equal access to education and resources.

The collaboration between mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward represents a significant stride toward creating a more inclusive and diverse tech industry. By inspiring and empowering high school girls, this collaboration aims to pave the way for a new generation of female technologists who will drive innovation and contribute to a more equitable future. Together, they are dismantling barriers, breaking stereotypes, and creating a brighter and more inclusive tomorrow for women in technology.

Jodi Sherman, senior manager of customer success operations at ModMed and the President of mmWIT, shared her views on how the collaboration with the Pace Center for Girls Broward is making a difference. Sherman stated, “By sharing our experiences and knowledge, we hope to ignite the passion and curiosity of these high school girls, encouraging them to pursue careers in the technology industry. We firmly believe that by increasing the representation of women in STEM, we can drive innovation and create a more inclusive and diverse future.”

By Riley Kaminer

Signups are now open for the University of Miami-sponsored Intern Bootcamp and Entry-Level Career Expo

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The University of Miami will be the presenting sponsor of South Florida Tech Hub’s upcoming Intern Bootcamp & Entry-Level Career Expo.

The virtual event will connect South Florida’s top talent to local hiring managers from some of our fastest-growing companies. The University of Miami’s sponsorship of the event enables South Florida Tech Hub to make this event free for members and only $50 for non-members.

“We are excited to be sponsoring the event,” Dr. Maryann Tatum Tobin, the Assistant Dean for Professional Education and Personalized Learning at the University of Miami, told South Florida Tech Hub.

Tobin is passionate about preparing students for the workplace. “My main interest in the internship fair and careers fair is its ability to bring together all the interested organizations doing work that is relevant to our students.” 

She highlighted UM’s recently-launched Data Science master’s degree as an example of a program that is acting as a talent pipeline. “Our program is educating people who will work in the field, so it seemed like a natural fit for us to be involved,” Tobin explained. “We hope to let all of the corporations know that the University of Miami is on the cutting edge in data science.”

“We want to make sure that our students know who’s out there hiring, but also that everyone who’s out there hiring knows that we are here and are preparing some of the top candidates for their positions,” Tobin continued.

This upcoming virtual career expo will be divided into a few different events.

  • All day: Virtual booths where potential applicants can talk to employers. There is a wide range of open jobs including software development, engineering, networking, helpdesk, cybersecurity, quality assurance, digital marketing and more.
  • 10am to 2pm: 15-minute presentations from South Florida hiring companies about their internship programs
  • 3:45pm to 5pm: “Plan Your Future” interactive panel discussion hosted by Path to College, providing students with an insight into a group of careers within the STEM industries. The topic will be “Cloud Engineering & AI Technology.” 

Participating companies include DSS, Carrier, City Furniture, Digital Resource, and Varis. Premier Virtual, a Delray Beach-based startup, will be providing the online platform used for this event.

Talent is top of mind for companies in South Florida, as well as companies that are considering moving to our region. For Tobin, this upcoming event will help put South Florida’s top tech talent on display.

“If you’re a company that’s looking to hire the best and the brightest, they are right here in our backyard,” she said. “I’m hoping that this fair helps to cement South Florida as a tech hub.”

On the flip side, Tobin expects this event to remind students that once they graduate from a South Florida institution, they don’t need to leave: “There’s work here for you.”

The recent boom in South Florida tech is reflected in the interests of the students Tobin interacts with. “I see a lot more students experimenting with tech entrepreneurship than I did two years ago,” she said, highlighting a particular uptick in social entrepreneurship.

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WHAT: Intern Bootcamp & Entry-Level Career Expo

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022 from 9am to 5pm

WHERE: Online

WHO: Students, recent graduates, and some of South Florida’s fastest-growing organizations

WHY: Connect and share job opportunities

HOW: Register here

By Nikki Cabus

Palm Beach Tech, Knight Foundation, eMerge Americas partner to help laid off Tech Professionals

Read Time 2 Minutes

The Palm Beach Tech Association has partnered with the Knight Foundation & eMerge Americas to support out of work tech professionals throughout South Florida.

“It’s time for us to come together as one South Florida Tech Community,” said Palm Beach Tech CEO Joe Russo. “We’re trying to do our part to provide hope in difficult time.” Palm Beach Tech also held a Virtual Career Expo on Wednesday attracting 25 companies and 800+ attendees.

Utilizing the new Resume Distributor, the organizations are encouraging everyone seeking positions to submit their Resumes and Elevator Speech. Those will be made available to the HR and Recruiting Directors of companies hiring in South Florida.

Thanks to the generous support of the John S. and James L Knight Foundation, we are offering access to this platform for free to all tech companies hiring in South Florida. “We are proud to support bold and innovative models that help talent and opportunity find each other more readily,” said Miami Program Director Raul Moas.

eMerge Americas is partnering to help market and expand the program’s reach.

“eMerge Americas is dedicated to supporting our community – and especially our South Florida tech talent – through these difficult times,” said eMerge Americas CEO Felice Gorordo. “We appreciate Palm Beach Tech Association for their leadership and partnership in helping identify opportunities, distribute resumes, and find jobs for developers and tech talent affected by recent layoffs and furloughs as a result of COVID.”

 

How it Works

This is a free community resource for both job seekers and companies hiring

Here’s how it works for job seekers:

  • Submit your Resume online here
  • HR Directors will reach out to you directly

Here’s how it works for companies hiring:

  • Become a Member or simply Submit this Form
  • Receive weekly email updates and 24/7 access to all resumes on our Talent Dashboard
  • Contract Recruiting firms are not eligible

 

This is in addition to our currently existing community resources:

For more information, reach out to team@palmbeachtech.org

JA Inspire 2024 inspires middle school students in Palm Beach County
ModMed doubles down on efforts to empower young girls in tech with Pace Center for Girls Broward
Signups are now open for the University of Miami-sponsored Intern Bootcamp and Entry-Level Career Expo
Palm Beach Tech, Knight Foundation, eMerge Americas partner to help laid off Tech Professionals