Empowering Students Through Technology Near the Nation’s Capital
Imagine a place where students can head after school or during the summer to get their gaming on – not simply talking about playing video games, but learning how to design them. Other activities include creating robots for national competitions, making hot new beats for up and coming hip-hop artists, or heading with a few hundred of your peers to Las Vegas as part of a competition organized by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
No need to imagine this place since it already exists as the Patriots Technical Training Center, begun around 12 years ago by founder Thurman Jones who wanted to give young people an opportunity to gain access and interest in the wave of new technology careers spreading across the nation and globe.
“My long-time dream was to be a mentor and help other people, but technology was the future, so I could also help and get others from our communities involved in these types of careers,” said Jones.
“In our community we like competition, and competition brings people together as a family. So that gets them motivated to get out here and compete in science, technology engineering and math.”
Located in Seat Pleasant, Md. a few miles from Washington, D.C. the center serves more than 1,500 students annually through various after school workshops, camps and programs. It also represents the nation’s largest NSBE Jr. Chapter with over 400 members.
Jones says individuals and parents see his organization as a positive place and very useful in providing information on scholarships and programs for those students interested in going to college. “We are like the information broker to find these types of programs for the kids; we can’t do it all so we partner with other organizations to help their students as well,” said Jones.
The NSBE Junior chapters which represent NSBE’s pre-college initiative that allows members to participate in regional and national competitions receive scholarships, travel to conferences, as well as gain access to mentors who help them matriculate to college and pursue technical degrees.
The Patriot Center recently held a Shadow Day for high school students where they could interact with and follow NSBE students enrolled at the University of Maryland at College Park.
The Patriot Technical Center also hosts an annual Youth Summit on Technology Conference and a science bowl where young people compete on teams to win. Jones notes that without the support of companies such as McDonnell Douglas Corp., Booz Allen Hamilton, .they wouldn’t be able to continue doing what they do.
The choices of programs for students are exciting and can lead to both well paying and fun careers. Most people are familiar with television shows such as CSI, well the Patriot Center also offers program on Forensics.
Students can also participate in the Lego-based programs that are often used in robotics and also provide programs designed to educate and prepare kids for careers and degrees that improve energy efficiency as well as the new and rapidly expanding green jobs.
Not only does Jones see getting more young people involved in science and technology as important, he realizes that most kids are a lot better at it than they realize. Many have a change of mind about math and science once they get involved in his programs.
“They think math, science, and engineering is hard but once you get into it and practice it like you practice basketball you get better at it. That’s the mindset we are trying to promote. They come here and check it out. It’s a lot of fun and not that hard, you just have to practice.”
Students as well as parents from all over the region are welcomed to visit the center and its website and become a part of the Patriot family. For more information visit www.patriots-ttc.org.