Seton Hall University Joins With AT&T And Newark Technology High School To Announce The Launch Of Innovative "Young Developers Program"

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Newark Technology High School and Seton Hall University students will join forces in an innovative program – designed to serve as a replicable, national model -- in which they will develop mobile applications (apps) that provide a social good, introduce students to science and technology careers and promote positive social change in the community, with the aid of a contribution by AT&T of $250,000, Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban announced today. The pilot Young Developers Program (YDP) is part of the university's Center for Mobile Research & Innovation (CMRI).

"Seton Hall's partnership with AT&T Aspire advances the University's mission to help young, often underserved students prepare for success in higher education," said Dr. Esteban. "With AT&T's generous support, we are able to provide the best possible learning technology and hands-on faculty advisers and student mentors in a unique pilot program for these young developers, who represent the future of our institutions and our society."

The AT&T contribution is part of a quarter-billion-dollar national campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition.   AT&T Aspire tackles high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school using "socially innovative" approaches -- engaging people and technology to bring new solutions and added resources to challenging social problems.

"This contribution to Seton Hall's Center for Mobile Research & Innovation is about more than just teaching the students to develop mobile apps – it is also teaching them professional and life skills, motivating them and preparing them for college, and instilling community service values," said Mike Schweder, AT&T Mid-Atlantic President, who presented a $250,000 check to Esteban.  "AT&T is proud to be a part of this project that uses technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways."

Beginning in January 2013, and continuing throughout the academic year, YDP students will participate in after-school online courses on coding, prototyping, user interface design, testing, and marketing.  Seton Hall students and industry professionals will serve as mentors and help the Young Developers plan and develop a mobile app.  The apps developed by the students must be community-oriented and serve a "social good."

The model curriculum developed for the YDP under the AT&T contribution will pursue specific college preparation and workplace development skills, including:

• Introducing underserved students to the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines through mobile application programming curriculum;
• Providing an understanding of the impact of mobile technology across professional fields, with a particular emphasis on the promotion of social good;
• Changing the mindset of underserved and at-risk students through confidence building and access to professional networking;
• Developing skills that will enable students to set long term professional goals and pursue them.

Universities and underserved students in high schools across the country will have access to the model curriculum to be created by the Young Developers Program, using the experiences of the year-long program.  Other schools will have access to the theory, tools and skills necessary for beginning mobile app development, including conceptualization, design, coding, and marketing. 

Schweder said the Young Developers Program meshes perfectly with the AT&T Aspire program mission of high school dropout prevention.  "The dropout rate, along with inadequate training and education, is keeping many high-paying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs from being filled.  And the situation is expected to worsen as STEM jobs grow a projected 17 percent by 2018.  We need to ensure that we have a workforce that is prepared to tackle the technological challenges of the future," said Schweder.

ABOUT CMRI

The mission of the Center for Mobile Research & Innovation is to explore, understand, and explain the emerging role of mobile technology. The Center for Mobile Research & Innovation (CMRI) provides Seton Hall University strategic leadership, direction and coordination of mobile technologies usage; and studies its development, impact, and application for the promotion of positive social change globally. The CMRI is a collaborative, cross-functional center, fostering the investigation of mobile technology through the creation of original research, the promotion of critical partnerships, the establishment and support of innovative initiatives, and the dissemination of knowledge.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country's leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856.

With more than 60 rigorous academic programs, and schools singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, US News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek, Seton Hall exemplifies academic excellence.  A student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 and an average class size of 20 provide a truly supportive educational environment; students enjoy hands-on guidance from a world-class faculty that includes Fulbright scholars, leading researchers, industry leaders, and former ambassadors. Dozens of Seton Hall students have been chosen for highly selective national and international awards in recent years, including Rhodes, Fulbright, Pickering, and Udall scholarships.

Seton Hall offers superior opportunities for career development before and after graduation. More than 75 percent of students participate in an internship, practicum or clinical program to gain professional experience; the university also boasts a career-related job placement rate 10 to 15 percent above the national average and an international alumni network more than 70,000 strong.

The university combines the resources of a large university with the personal attention of a small liberal arts college. Its attractive suburban campus is only 14 miles by train, bus or car to New York City, with the wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities the city offers.

SOURCE Seton Hall University