HACEMOS Looks to Inspire Minority Students with One-Day National High Technology Event

AT&T’s Hispanic/Latino Association, HACEMOS, joins forces with Junior Achievement (JA) and its JA Job Shadow initiative, to host more than 1,400 low-income and at-risk high school students in 22 cities across the country for the 13th Annual HACEMOS National High Technology Day.

HACEMOS National High Technology Day is designed to give students a better grasp of the opportunities available in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields—areas where minorities are underrepresented. The sessions and job shadow opportunities will enable minority students to team up with AT&T employees and experience the world of work firsthand, tour AT&T facilities, and participate in hands-on activities and interactive workshops related to careers in technology.

“AT&T’s High Technology Day gives students real-world insight and hopefully will inspire them to join a high-growth field in technology, where they can establish a great future for themselves,” said Delia Hernandez, national president of HACEMOS, the Hispanic/Latino Association of AT&T. “Statistics show that Latinos and other minority students are considerably underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. That’s why we are proud to join forces with Junior Achievement as we look at doing our part to help reverse these disheartening trends.”

“Junior Achievement is deeply committed to building the work-readiness of our young people so they can successfully compete in the global marketplace,” added Jack E. Kosakowski, president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement USA™. “It is through these potentially transformative mentoring and experiential learning opportunities that students make the important connections between their daily school curricula and life after graduation.”

The theme for this year’s National High Technology Day is “Rethink Your Future,” intended to challenge students to consider rewarding careers in science and engineering. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Hispanics received only eight percent of bachelor's degrees in these fields.

In addition to the workshops and sessions, students will be able to connect with thousands of other high schools using AT&T’s Telepresence Solution, which is an advanced, high definition videoconference,  that creates the sensation of an in-person meeting. Each student group will be able to see and talk to other students participating in their respective cities.

This year, Jeff Gomez, President and CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment, will present his celebrated seminar “Never Surrender: The Kids Guide to Winning at Life,” which he has presented to over 200,000 young people, parents and teachers around the world, using webcast technology. As part of this keynote, Gomez will address students nationwide drawing from his inspirational life story of being born in Manhattan’s Lower East side to working on global movie and television multiplatform franchises including Avatar, Transformers, Tron: Legacy, Pirates of the Caribbean and Hot Wheels. He is now sought by executives and companies around the world as a leading transmedia producer and expert. As part of his ongoing dedication to instilling the values of leadership and empathy in young people Gomez has long supported causes like HACEMOS that reinforce these ideals.

Additionally, Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, will speak via video to the students. Mr. de la