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COLORADO FUTURETEK PROGRAMS

STEAM!

(Middle School)

Financial

Management

Workshops

SummerTEK

(High School)

Other New

Initiatives

Summer SilverTeks

(Senior Citizens with

High School Tutors)

Internships

Silver Saturdays

(Senior Citizens with

High School Tutors)

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COLORADO FUTURETEK 10-YEAR PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

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SummerTEK

SummerTEK is a 6-week tuition-free computer networking training program for African

American and other underrepresented high school students. Colorado Futuretek is an

official local Cisco Networking Academy, and we use their curricula, recognized world-wide

as a high-quality, effective training program. The knowledge and skills acquired in this

course can lead to one of the following innovative and rewarding careers: Network

Administrator, Network Engineer, Network Technician, Network Installer, or Help Desk

Technician. This course is also valuable for students who aspire to own their own business.

SummerTEK is a great opportunity to learn about the basic building blocks of computer

networks for home and small business enterprises in a supportive and user-friendly

environment. Students also attend field trips to state-of-the-art computer-related

facilities in the Denver area. While learning technical concepts, students also improve

their teamwork, problem-solving and verbal/written communication skills. Students who

successfully complete SummerTEK are awarded a Windows 10 laptop.

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Summer 2020 Network Design Challenge

The SummerTEK 2020 in-person program at New Hope Baptist Church had to be

cancelled due to the pandemic and was replaced by the Summer 2020 Network

Design Challenge for SummerTEK Alumni.

In the Summer 2020 Network Design Challenge, Colorado Futuretek students

were given a set of requirements to design, simulate and verify networks using

the Cisco Networking Academy’s Packet Tracer network simulator. The students

submitted their work online to our certified Cisco Networking Academy

Instructors.

Their designs included an internal network for a small business and a network

with internet access in which they configured a DHCP server, a DNS server, and

set up access to a web page from a Web server.

Prizes were awarded to students who successfully designed, tested and verified

both networks.

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Microsoft CareerX Days and Start Your Own Business Field Trips

For the past few years, Colorado Futuretek high school students have attended CareerX Days at

the Microsoft Technology Center, where they participated in interactive sessions including

coding, adaptive controller technology, artificial intelligence and productivity, and the HoloLens

augmented reality experience.

Among the SummerTEK students’ favorite field trips are the 4-session Start Your Own Business

workshops at the Microsoft store. Each student team brainstorms an idea for a product or

service. They learn the basics of making a business plan for producing, marketing, distributing,

and advertising their product or service. Each team presents their plan, and the group votes on

the best business pitch.

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Student Internship Program

Our Student Internship Program works to match students who excel in our training programs with paid

internships with large and small businesses in the Information Technology and Computer industries and

with other professional businesses and community organizations. Companies that participate by

providing internship positions benefit by gaining early exposure to potential future employees who are

already familiar with their work environment.

Colorado Futuretek subsidizes the student stipends for our interns at small businesses. These stipends

are funded by contributions to our Harold E. Montgomery Sr. Internship Stipend Fund which was started

by an initial endowment from Prof. Lynn Wilson and family.

Colorado Futuretek has facilitated paid summer internships at the following companies and

organizations: RTD, Triunity Engineering & Management, SparqU, Gilmore Construction, RTL

Networks, Empowercom, True Light Baptist Church Office, The Friendship School, and Colorado

Futuretek.

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STEAM! Middle School Program Online

5 weeks July 6 through Aug 6

Mondays and Wednesdays 10 to 11:15 am – 5th & 6th graders

Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 to 11:15 am – 7th & 8th graders

STEAM! Is a collaborative program by Colorado Futuretek, SparqU, Steps to Success and True Light Baptist Church

Learn to use Microsoft Paint 3D

Learn MakeCode and Minecraft programming

Learn to manage money

Get a head start on College and Career readiness

The classes were conducted online using Zoom. Our Colorado Futuretek high school students worked as paid tutors assisting our adult instructors in teaching the middle school students. The program was provided to the middle school students free of charge.

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Summer SilverTeks

In our Summer SilverTeks program, students who have successfully completed

our SummerTEK program are chosen to assist our adult instructor by providing

one-on-one tutoring to senior citizens who want to improve their computer skills

(such as using PowerPoint, Excel, or MS Word), or who want to learn the basics of

using a laptop (using a word processor, sending email, using the internet,

customizing their computer for ease of use, etc.). Senior citizens also receive

assistance with smartphone basics from our high school students in this program.

The student tutors are rated for their performance and receive a stipend.

Summer SilverTeks is a win-win, giving valuable assistance to senior citizens, and

providing a useful employment opportunity for our students.

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Silver Saturdays moved from in-person to online

Moves to

In 2020, Colorado Futuretek started a new program, Silver Saturdays, a self-paced class to help

senior citizens 50 and over learn the basics or improve their skills using laptops or smartphones.

The course was led by adult instructor Lynn Jackson assisted by Colorado Futuretek teen

student tutors. The classes were held in-person at True Light Baptist Church 14333 Bolling

Drive in Denver once a month on the second Saturday morning from 10 am to 12 noon.

Originally scheduled for January through May and September through December 2020. There

is no cost to the senior citizens for this program. Due to the pandemic, the April class

was cancelled and the program was moved online starting in May.

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September 2020 Silver Saturdays class

Colorado Futuretek offered an online Summer SilverTeks 4-week computer basics course designed

for senior citizens over the age of 50, taught by our adult instructor assisted by our student tutors.

The course also includes assistance with smartphones. There is no charge for the program, and each

participant will receive 3 months’ access to an Illustrated Microsoft Office Fundamentals eBook

which we will use during the class. The class was conducted using Zoom.

Topics being covered in the class included:

Managing Files and Folders in Windows 10

Using Microsoft Office 2016 – Using the Ribbon, Ease of Access

Microsoft Word – Creating and Enhancing a Document

Microsoft Excel – Creating a Spreadsheet Budget; How to Create a Chart

Microsoft Power Point – Creating and Running a Presentation

Smartphone Basics – Android or iPhone

The class met online using Zoom Monday June 8 through Friday July 3, 2020 from

10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. each day.

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Computer and Information Technology Career Exploration Program

For two summers, Colorado Futuretek offered a Computer and Information Technology Career Exploration Program for high school students in partnership with the Denver Office of Economic Development Youth Services. This 4-week program was designed for 14-15 year old students to help prepare them for future workplace opportunities. It was hosted at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Financial Management Workshop

Colorado Futuretek facilitated a “Banking on our Future” workshop for 8th grade through high school students presented by Operation Hope at no cost to our students.

Founded by African American entrepreneur John Hope Bryant, Operation Hope is an award winning non-profit organization that equips young people and adults with the financial knowledge and tools to secure a better future.

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DSST Green Valley Ranch Elective Classes – (8 trimesters)

DSST Montview Elective Classes (11 trimesters)

Colorado Futuretek instructors have been teaching elective classes at the Denver School of Science and Technology since the Fall of 2012. We have taught at DSST Green Valley Ranch High School and DSST Montview High School.

Our Introduction to Computer Networking elective class covered some basic concepts of Internet communication protocols, network addressing, network services, wireless technologies, and security.

Our C programming with microcontrollers class was an introduction to C language programming using PIC16F887 microcontrollers.

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10th Annual Awards Luncheon

The 10th annual Colorado Futuretek Awards Luncheon at the New Hope Baptist Church Family

Life Center, which is our major fundraiser each year, had to be cancelled due to the pandemic –

and was replaced by a Celebrate10! Online Fundraiser held on August 8, 2020.

Colorado Futuretek Board of Directors (see https://www.cftek.org/about/board-of-directors/)

(not shown – David Hinds, Tevin Thompson)