Tech Kids Unlimited Challenges Teens to “Hack” Fake News
BROOKLYN, New York – What do computer programming, journalism, and teenagers have in common? Tech Kids Unlimited (TKU), a tech-based organization for children and teens with special needs, is uniting the three at a hackathon at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering on Saturday, March 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by Infosys Foundation USA, one of the largest grant-making foundations in the US focused on Computer Science education, especially for underrepresented communities.
Because false and misleading information permeates 21st-century social media and online knowledge in the form of fake news, Tech Kids Unlimited aims to guide teens in “hacking” the problem. The Tech Kids Unlimited Hackathon is $20 for teens ages 14 to 19 with learning and emotional disabilities such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, Auditory Processing Disorder, Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Dyslexia. No prior tech knowledge is required. It will take place at 2 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Special guests, including acclaimed comedians Hasan Minhaj and Nore Davis and journalists Amanda Holpuch of The Guardian, Ken Brown of The Wall Street Journal, and Jeff Mays of DNAInfo, will engage attendees in a dialogue about the issues and their importance.
Founded by NYU Tandon Adjunct Digital Media Professor Beth Rosenberg and her son, Jack, Tech Kids Unlimited gives children and teens with learning and emotional disabilities valuable tech skills through creative and constructive programs like the hackathon. Sponsored by the InfoSys Foundation, the Tech Kids Unlimited Hackathon will challenge participants to think critically about the fake news issue and brainstorm potential solutions. They will be encouraged to share their insight with and receive help from social workers and tech teachers, who will be there to supervise. The teens will receive gifts and prizes at the event, which also includes lunch and dinner.
Register at www.techkidsunlimited.org/hackathon2017.
About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering
The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, the country’s largest private research university, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program.
About Infosys Foundation USA
Infosys Foundation USA is focused on bridging the digital divide in America by supporting high quality computer science education and coding skills with a particular focus on underrepresented communities. It aims to give children and young adults the skills they need to become creators, not just consumers, of technology. In pursuit of this mission, the Foundation has partnered with internationally acclaimed non-profits and institutions like Code.org, New York Academy of Sciences,DonorsChoose.org, and the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, Infosys Foundation USA committed a million dollars to the Infy Maker Awards to inspire makers across the U.S. to demonstrate creative excellence in making projects with genuine impact.
Learn more at www.infosys.org/usa/ Follow on Twitter @InfyFoundation or Facebook at www.facebook.com/InfosysFoundationUSA.
