2021 in Review: Microsoft TechSpark Central Washington

The holidays are quickly approaching as is my four-year anniversary at Microsoft. Leading the Central Washington TechSpark program and also acting as the Community Lead for our local Microsoft Data Center has been both rewarding and challenging. These last four years have flown by, and I look forward to the future as we have some great work yet to come. It's always a great exercise to look back over the year and recall all that's been accomplished.

As I look back on 2021, what stands out to me the most is the year’s many challenges implementing our TechSpark programs while working around the constraints of the pandemic. But these challenges forced us to be creative and re-think the ways in which we engage with not only our partners, but also with each other.?Never before have schools, organizations and businesses completed a full-year with hybrid teaching, remote work, physical distancing, and a host of safety protocols—from masking to testing—all against the backdrop of a pandemic and other national and global crisis. And yet, thanks to the dedication of our non-profit organizations and higher education institutions, we’ve been able to continue making meaningful impact on individuals and businesses and that’s why I love this community so much.

Exactly a year ago, we partnered with NCW Tech Alliance to kick off a digital skilling competition.?UpSkill-A-Thon is a learning challenge intended to encourage participation in Upskill, a free job training and resources program. As of October 2021, there have been 11,000 unique log ins and over 1,700 Upskill website users, with 57% of users being women. The trainings were offered in both English and Spanish.?We found such great success with that event that we recently funded another round of the program, which is running right now through the end of the year. This program is especially important as advances in technology are happening at an incredibly fast pace and are creating new jobs and opportunities. But for many folks living in my six-county region, those opportunities have been out of reach for many reasons.

There's a passage Kevin Scott wrote in his book Reprogramming the American Dream that resonates with me so much that I have it hanging above my computer:

"And it is on the collective us to find better ways to allow them to live the life that they want to live, and to get the training they need, to have economic security for themselves and their families.” - Kevin Scott in Reprogramming the American Dream

Juan Servin is one of the people who has taken advantage of some of the resources we’ve brought to the area, and his story is also one of my favorite highlights of 2021. Juan and his daughter Gabby signed up for the Upskill-A-thon and ended up winning the Grand Prize. He and his daughter combined completed 148 certificates on LinkedIn Learning, further increasing their skillset. Juan has made a practice of continually bettering himself - that learning has taken him from the onion fields to college classrooms. I particularly love this quote from Juan. It came from an article Microsoft wrote on him and his relentless pursuit for education:

“The only thing that you need to learn is how to be a ‘learning person’,” said Juan. “Because learning is open for anyone who wants to apply themselves and to achieve more.”

Juan Servin getting his diploma from Big Bend Community College President Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy (Photo courtesy of Juan Servin)

This summer, Juan graduated from Big Bend Community College with his AS in Systems Network. He recently started his own business and is pursuing a four-year degree. One of my wishes for 2022 is to see more people from around my region take advantage of the programs that are out there and realize their full capabilities like Juan has.?

In August, we partnered with NCESD and NCW Tech Alliance to bring an AI Expo (Artificial Intelligence) to the STEM Summit, a 5-day professional learning opportunity designed for K-12 educators. During the event, over 560 teachers from our area were trained in how to introduce AI into their classrooms. Through our sponsorship, the AI Expo was able to offer its training for free to the business community and general public. Because of the success of the Expo this year, we are already planning to hold the event again in August 2022.

Sam and Alma Montoya from Cielo Town Bakery who completed NCW Tech Alliance's Website Program

The pandemic brought to light the fact that many of our small businesses do not have the ability to pivot to an online presence. In August, Microsoft TechSpark, in partnership with NCW Tech Alliance, piloted the first Digital Presence Website Program in Quincy, Wash. with eight small businesses. This program offers small business owners the opportunity to learn how to build their own website (free of cost) and teaches the tools and skills needed to maintain their online presence. The pilot identified a few challenges, so the program was adapted to meet those issues, and currently, NCW Tech is running its second and third cohorts. This program makes me so happy, especially as it becomes clearer just how difficult it is in rural areas to find the proper resources to support businesses.

Graduates of the inaugural class of Digital Presence Website Pilot Program in Quincy, WA

July was a month of celebration as our team was able to reunite in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The pandemic has required our Microsoft TechSpark team to conduct all our meetings remotely, actually meeting up in person (safely) for the first time in 20 months had to be one of the sweetest highlights of my year. We were able to share our work, get inspiration from each other and talk about ways we can continue to drive impact in our regions. We were also able to see first hand the amazing TechSpark work my colleague Dennis Ellis is driving in Cheyenne.

In September, school started back up, and I am proud to say that all but three of the high schools in my 6-county region are offering computer science classes with 19 of those schools running the Microsoft TEALS program. When Microsoft TechSpark first started to work with the Apple STEM Network in 2018, only three high schools in the region offered computer science courses for students, and students who did have access to classes were having to retake their coursework at the college level. Through collaborative partnerships with local educators at the high school and local colleges, opportunities for professional development, and countless outreach events and programs, we are seeing a dramatic difference in computer science across our region just three short years later.

November saw Microsoft TechSpark and the Apple STEM Network recruit Computing for All, a Seattle-based nonprofit, to North Central Washington to support the development of a Data Center Technician prep pathway for high school students. The group submitted a successful application for Career Connect Washington Intermediary funding this fall, and program development just got underway. Big Bend Community College and Quincy High School will also be partnering with us on this project. Stay tuned for more information on this as it develops. It will provide a much-needed labor pipeline to our local area data centers.?

Due to the increasing need for cybersecurity talent, Microsoft recently announced its commitment to supporting community colleges to develop and grow cybersecurity programs and help build a cybersecurity workforce. Locally, we partnered with Big Bend Community College to develop one of those cybersecurity programs.

I couldn’t be more proud of the progress made over the last year, and I’m looking forward to continuing our efforts in 2022. When I think about what makes the world go round, it is our incredible partners that are on the ground, supporting the people in our community – thank you to each of you across the Central Washington region and beyond for your continued support and dedication to our people. Cheers and happy holidays!

About Microsoft TechSpark

Through the?TechSpark?program, Microsoft partners with communities to understand their unique regional challenges and to explore solutions, programs, and partnerships that will be most effective locally to ensure everyone can benefit from the digital economy.

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