Time: 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Location: Operation Breakthrough (3039 Troost Avenue Kansas City, MO 64109)
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Have you wondered how tomorrow’s digital media stars are being prepared for the career you are enjoying right now? Several area non-profit organizations are introducing kids to digital media and other STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ARTS, Mathematics) disciplines through classwork, workshops and hands-on projects. One of KC’s most celebrated non-profit organizations is Operation Breakthrough. Through its STEAM programs and its Ignition Lab, youngsters are being introduced to fascinating career possibilities that will help them break through the barriers of poverty and marginalization they have traditionally faced.
Join us on Tuesday, November 19th from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. for our networking event: DIGITAL SCENE KC: STEAM Education to learn how Operation Breakthrough and other programs like it are bringing STEAM Education to life for Kansas City’s kids while you reconnect with peers from KC’s growing digital media ecosystem.
This DIGITAL SCENE KC event gives you the opportunity to connect with area digital media professionals in a casual, happy hour event while you learn more about what’s going on in KC with STEAM Education programs in our area.
- Enjoy free food and drink
- Network with other KC area digital media professionals and digital media educators
- Meet with some of KC’s most influential non-profit leaders of STEAM organizations
- See first-hand what Travis Kelce had in mind when he donated the Ignition Lab to Operation Breakthrough
Who Can Attend?
Digital media professionals and digital media educators. (Sorry, no students under 21 as beer & wine will be served).
This event is free, but you must REGISTER to attend.
Guest Experts (KC STEAM Education Leaders)
Operation Breakthrough is dedicated to providing educational, supportive, and emergency services to low-income families. It offers programs like early childhood education, after-school care, and family support services to help children and their families break out of poverty.
Representative: Mary Esselman, President & CEO
The Ignition Lab at Operation Breakthrough provides high school students with hands-on experience in STEM fields. The lab offers students the opportunity to explore various subjects, including coding, robotics, and construction, while also preparing them for future careers in these fields.
Representatives: Gavin Wood, Director of STEM, Ian O’Neil, Digital Media Facilitator for Ignition Lab
The School Age Program at Operation Breakthrough provides before/after school enrichment programming for 300 children grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. Their Summer Enrichment Program includes reading, writing, science, STEM, art, music and PE.
Representative: Felix Maull, Digital Media Facilitator for School Age
Operation Breakthrough’s MindDrive program is a project-based experiential learning program designed to spark a lifelong passion for STEM in children. Through hands-on activities and innovative projects, the program fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, setting the stage for future success in STEM fields.
Representative: TBD
Pomerol Partners builds industry leading business-focused data solutions that provide business value to our clients through simplifying data and making data actionable. They are a much-appreciated sponsor of the DIGITAL SCENE KC program.
Representative: Kanon Cozad, Director of CIO Advisory Services
iSTEAMKC cultivates a dynamic learning environment that empowers individuals to excel at the intersection of arts, media technology and workforce development through hands-on experiences, mentorship and collaborative projects.
Representatives: Pat Jordan, Founder and President, Dr. Auburn Ellis, Director of Creative Engagement, Royce Diamond, Sound Engineering Instructor
digiSTORY KC provides workshops and other educational resources to advance digital media skills for those who wish to tell their stories through the fascinating capabilities of digital media.
Representatives: Ron Green, Executive Director and Jeff Daly, Animator
KC STEM Alliance is a collaborative network of educators, business partners and affiliates that inspires interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math careers to generate a robust force of related professionals for our community.
Representative: Callen Zind, Strategic Communications Consultant
Urban Technology Empowered Communities dba/ Urban TEC is a digital literacy education and training organization. Their information technology training skills initiative is designed to break down barriers and open the path to careers in technology for anyone but primarily targeted to underserved and underrepresented residents in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
Representative: Ina Montgomery, Executive Director
In a world where zip codes can predict outcomes, PREP-KC ignites potential by bringing educators and industry professionals together to build paths to meaningful careers for students across the heart of bistate Kansas City.
Representative: Beth McCarthy, Director of Community & Industry Partnerships
The Career Innovation Center of Blue Springs is a career centered school in Blue Springs that focuses on profession-based learning to help prepare students for career and college through multiple Real World Learning opportunities.
Representatives: Andrew Enlow, Computer Animation; Video Game Design; Esports, Glenn Berry, Digital Media Production; Video Podcasting; Short Film, Kevin Clevenger, Esports
zSpace is a cutting-edge 3D learning platform that offers immersive, hands-on experiences to enhance student achievement in subjects like science, math, and career and technical education—all without the need for headsets or glasses. By allowing users to interact directly with virtual content, zSpace creates a more engaging and effective way to explore complex topics and boost learning outcomes.
Check out the zSpace video to learn more.
Representative: Brooke Cashion, Senior Regional Director.
About Our Host
Operation Breakthrough surrounds 750 of the city’s most vulnerable children and their families with opportunities – to learn, connect, be nurtured and prepare for success. The program runs cradle to career, helping little children become school-ready, helping school-agers stay on track and offering teens real-world experiences in digital electronics, graphic design and more. OB empowers people to breakthrough to a bright future!
This event is part of the DIGITAL SCENE KC series and is brought to you by:
