We joined forces with the Latina STEM advocacy group TECHNOLOchicas and HACEMOS, our Hispanic employee resource group to host two special events this year.

TECHNOLOchicas is part of NCWIT – National Center for Women & Information Technology.

On Friday, October 20th we welcomed 45 Latina high school students at Foshay Learning Center in Los Angeles, California for a day of learning, mentorship and fun.

The program kicked off with remarks from Latina leaders working in STEM at AT&T. TECHNOLOchicas mentors worked with the students through workshops where they learned and applied industry skills to real-life situations. The workshops were:

  • Basics of Coding with Ana Hernandez – computer science engineering student
    Students practiced coding images by developing a game. They learned the basics of programming for various tech-related fields.
  • Build it Tall, Build it Strong with Beatris Mendez Gandica, program manager, Microsoft and Janet Barrientos, software engineer, Classy
    Students worked in small groups to strategize, plan and execute an engineering challenge using limited resources. They used their critical thinking, design and collaborative skills to develop an innovative product.
  • Dream It, Be It!, with Andrea Chavez, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) director, The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria
    Students got an inside look at the process of creating an emoji. They also got the chance to make their own by using Blockly programming.

“This event was another demonstration of how AT&T invests in our youth and in building a diverse and inclusive workplace,” said Deneen L. Garrett, lead consultant for diversity. “Young people want to learn about innovative careers and we’re beyond excited to introduce them to some of those amazing opportunities.”

See what attendees are saying about the event by following #ATTDiversityTREK and #LifeAtATT on social media. And don’t forget to follow @ATTLatino for more news on our work within the community.

A second #AT&TDiversityTrek event will be taking place in Dallas on December 6th during Computer Science Education Week

For more information about AT&T’s work with NCWIT, please go to ncwit.org/member/att.

For more information about HACEMOS Scholarships, go to scholarsapply.org/hacemos/ or check out att.jobs/careers/college/ to learn more about AT&T College Programs.

For more information about AT&T’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, go to about.att.com/sites/diversity.