Rocket Companies Summer Tech Program
Application Deadline: extended to Friday, May 26, 2023, by 5 PM.
About
Rocket Companies and the Irvin D. Reid Honors College partner with Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) to offer Detroit Public Schools Community District high school students the opportunity to explore technology and digital professions during this six-week summer tech program. Honors students who are selected for the program are Summer Tech Coaches for DPSCD high school students and together they explore writing computer code, designing computer apps, and creating websites, in addition to learning about networking, entrepreneurialism, and digital resources of the future. The coaches and summer interns hear from Rocket Company professionals about the work they do in technology in Detroit during a Summer Speakers Series hosted by Rocket Companies.
Coaches will:
• Lead educational sessions
• Develop group capstone projects
• Participate in networking events
• Organize speaker events with Rocket Companies professionals
• Attend professional development events presented by WSU faculty and staff
• Teach computer skills to high school students
• Present a Capstone project to leadership at Rocket Companies
Upon completion, students will become part of Rocket Companies network, with additional unique networking opportunities and connections with Rocket Companies in Detroit.
Program Staff:
The Rocket Companies and Wayne State University Summer Technology Program is coordinated by Ali Salamey in the Honors College (ali.salamey@wayne.edu) along with Aella Reyes, a current Honors College student in Mechanical Engineering, who previously participated in the program. The staff in the Honors College work closely with professional staff from Rocket Companies and GDYT to plan an engaging summer experience for the GDYT interns.
Funding:
Each Summer Tech Coach will be provided with a $5000 stipend to allow them to focus fully on the program during seven weeks during the summer, one week of pre-program training and six weeks coaching the high school interns. This stipend will be paid in installments upon successful completion of each stage of the program.
Program Participation:
Participation is open to Honors students in good standing with at least one year of college-level course work completed with a minimum GPA of 3.30
At the end of the program, students will have:
• completed a group project that showcases the technology skills learned during the summer
• created a strong professional network with other Honors Students and staff at Rocket Companies
• developed strong mentoring relationships with their summer interns
• built a broad support network and explored resources for their professional development
This program will be a hybrid program with meetings via Zoom, Teams, and in-person on the WSU Central Campus
When: July 10 - August 17
How to apply
Rocket Companies and Wayne State University Summer Technology Program applications are currently open for Summer 2022.
The deadline to apply is coming up very quickly: Friday, May 26, 2023 by 5 PM.. The program will include a week of paid training from July 5th-July 7th. Here are more details:
Call for Applications:
SUMMER TECH COACH
- 7 weeks; 1 week pre-program training (July 5th-July 7th)* and 6-week program, (July 10-August 17, 2023)* *(dates may change slightly but total hours will remain the same)
- Monday-Thurs, 10am-3pm; Friday (occasional meetings for 1-2 hours)
- 20 hours/week x 6 weeks=120 hours (program hours); Training 1 week=15 hours; Occasional meetings 5 hours; 140 hours total = $36/hour
- 6 coaches, each with a strong interest in coding, software design, and website design/development and a passion for mentoring high school students
- 1 coach, digital arts, videography
As a Tech Coach, you will help to guide a team of 2-3 high school students as they learn all about career opportunities in technology and develop a technology project under the tutelage of industry professionals. At the end of the summer, the high school students will present their capstone project as a Shark Tank style investment pitch.
To be an effective Tech Coach, you will need to quickly build trust and rapport with a small group of Detroit public high school students while facilitating their group project. You are always courteous, patient, diligent, reliable, and can serve as an excellent role model. Your love of learning is obvious and contagious. You will constructively collaborate with the other Tech Coaches and productively liaise with industry contacts. You are willing to take responsibility for ensuring an incredible summer experience for these high school students (and for yourself).
To apply: Please forward a copy of your resume/CV, a copy of your WSU transcript, and a 23-page answer to the following essay prompts to ali.salamey@wayne.edu no later than Friday, May 26, 2023 by 5 PM:
Briefly describe your interest in being a coach/mentor to the DPSCD students this summer and the skills you would bring to the program to help coach the students during the summer. Please include some information about what you think you will gain from the experience.
Also, briefly describe in a separate paragraph any experience you have with learning, using, and teaching coding, computer science, or videography/digital arts.
Questions about the program may be directed to Mr. Salamey as well.