SCC CAPS Technology Solutions

November has been a busy month for CAPS Technology Solutions! Associates are finishing their business partner projects and preparing for the next steps. November was also full of opportunities for the associates to continue building their professional network and furthering their communication skills.

Currently, the Technology Solutions associates are preparing for their 2nd semester internship interviews. In order to prepare, the associates have created their cover letters and perfected their resumes. Associates are also preparing by practicing the STAR method of answering interview questions. Many associates are excited for their interviews and cannot wait to start the next chapter of the SCC CAPS program!

The Community Council Summit is a day-long series of workshops designed to build a stronger community though professional connections and education. The Technology Solutions associates were tasked with recording and taking pictures of the event. Some associates took video of workshops while others bounced around the event and took pictures of everything. Using the pictures and videos, the associates are creating a promo video for the event next year and the workshops will be posted online for others to view.

The CAPS Roadshow was an event for counselors and other education personnel to learn more about the CAPS program. The event resembled a panel, with associates standing in the front and others asking them questions. Associates were asked about their business partner projects, skills acquired through CAPS, and many other questions.This was a great event for the associates to reflect and show what they've learned through CAPS and to promote the program.

The PM Technology Solutions associates attended a cross-strand networking event created by the PM Global Business/Entrepreneurship associates. At the event, Hakeem Valles, Retired NFL Player, talked to the associates about the importance of networking and getting your brand seen. Associates also had the opportunity to network with other associates outside of their strand at this event. Thank you to Kids Against Hunger for hosting us!

The CAPS Technology Solutions night in the Microsoft store at the St. Louis Galleria gave associates and their parents the opportunity to further explore the world of technology. At the event, they were able to experience Virtual Reality, get hands on with the latest devices, and network with Microsoft experts. Thank you to Microsoft for hosting us!

Randy Ross, Charter Senior Program Manager, talked to the associates about making the most of their LinkedIn profiles. Throughout the presentation, Mr. Ross showed examples of the associates' LinkedIn profiles and showed the associates things he liked and things they could improve their profiles. The associates learned different techniques to make their profiles stand out to future employers and ways to craft an impactful message to create a connection.

Micheal Repperger, Microsoft Senior Service Engineer, talked to the associates about the history of gaming consoles and the evolution of video games. Mr. Repperger was able to talk to the associates through video chat since he is located in Seattle, Washington. Having a virtual guest speaker was a new experience. He discussed the history of gaming consoles from the very first computers to present day. It was interesting to see how video games have changed over such a short amount of time and creates excitement for the future of gaming consoles!

We had the amazing opportunity to visit the the T-REX building in downtown St. Louis. The T-REX building is a non-profit organization that hosts start-up companies for little or no cost. Because businesses are hosted for very little, companies can focus on getting off the ground and creating a profit. The associates were able to visit with several companies located at the T-REX building in downtown St. Louis.

Adalo is a company that creates apps using a visual builder. A customer can create their app for free then pay when they publish it to the app store. Adalo takes the code aspect away from building an app, which allows anyone with a great idea to be able to build an app. Adalo also accepts feedback in order to make their products better for customers. One piece of advice Ben Haefele had for the associates was to learn everything they could about UX design and take advantage of every opportunity given.

CWTI stands for Countering Wildlife Trafficking Institute created by Odean Serrano. She started her company when she moved back to St. Louis after working for NASA. Her company combines nature and technology in order to stop poaching along with tracking other crimes. CWTI uses machine learning to create algorithms connecting various crimes in an area. Whenever a poaching crime occurs, it is likely other crime in the area is connected. It was interesting to see how technology can be employed in any line of work.

Tighten is a software development agency specializing in PHP, Laravel, Craft CMS, and Vue.js development. Shawn Jones talked to the associates about their company culture and how he came to work for Tighten. Afterwards, he showed the associates examples of the work he has done with Tighten with PHP. He showed the associates both the products and the code behind his work. It was insightful for the associates to see a programmer’s work to see if they might like to pursue programming. One piece of advice Shawn Jones had for the associates was to do what they are enthusiastic about without hesitation.

Agogie creates wearable resistance products in order to strengthen and support the body’s natural movements. Agogie is not what is typically considered a “tech company,” but it was important for our associates to see a tech company that did not revolve around computers or coding. Aaron Mottern had a few pieces of advice for the associates regarding their future. He told the associates to always try, even if you fail, and to stay open minded about how “tech” manifest itself.

CyberUp is a company that teaches courses in cyber security, especially for young people. Amber Lowry started her presentation by showing the associates a video about how easy it is for hackers to hack anything. Afterwards, the associates participated in a “password cracker” to determine how long it would take a hacker to guess their password. These activities taught the associates how important cyber security is and why it’s important to have some cyber security skills before joining the workforce.

"I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends. I really appreciate everything they do for me."

Email: katelyn.jacobsen@scccaps.org
Website: www.linkedin.com/in/katelyn-jacobsen
Twitter: @scccaps_katelyn

"I am thankful for my family/friends, my marching band family, and my fellow CAPS associates. Everyone's support means the world to me and I am very thankful to have them in my life."

Email: lily.warden@scccaps.org
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wardenlily/
Twitter: @WardenLily

Each Technology Solutions Associate was given a Micro:bit, which is a small handheld computer that associates can program. With 25 LED red lights that can flash messages and two buttons, the micro:bit is a great tool to learn how to code. Associates have just finished an online lesson teaching them how to code their micro:bit. In the near future, associates will write their own code and program their micro:bit to complete tasks or play games.

The Technology Solution associates are now working on delivering their final business partner project. They will present their project to their business partner as well as their fellow associates to showcase the work they've done all semester. Additionally, associates are preparing for their internship interviews and putting in the hard work to create great impressions.

The SCC CAPS program immerses students in professional environments where curriculum has been developed by industry professionals ensuring what is taught in the classroom is relevant to the workforce. In technology solutions, students learn to utilize technology in order to design products and solve business problems. In addition to working with technology, students have the opportunity to learn important soft skills and build their professional networks before venturing into the workforce.

Email: john.omoresemi@scccaps.org
Website: http://stcharlescountycaps.yourcapsnetwork.org/
Location: 13736 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights, MO, USA
Phone: 636-362-4051
Facebook: facebook.com/scccaps
Twitter: @scccapstech