UCM Lee’s Summit and Urban TEC Host Brothers In Technology Conference

By Janice Phelan, June 4, 2019

Approximately 110 high school boys from throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area attended the Brothers In Technology (BIT) Conference May 15. The event was hosted by the University of Central Missouri (UCM) Gigabit Lab and Urban TEC.

The BIT Gathering is designed to expose, educate and engage urban boys, ages 15-18, with technology to bridge the digital literacy divide and to encourage their pursuit of STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics - careers through hands-on experiences and workshops.

“The Brothers In Technology event was created to provide urban male youth exposure to technology,” said Joe Mullins of the University of Central Missouri, “and give them a glimpse of applications related to science, technology, engineering, arts and math careers. We hope after attending this event they will start to investigate what it takes to participate in these careers.”

The young men participated in workshops such as computer-aided design (CAD), robotics, coding/programming, virtual reality, circuit boards and audioengineering. Sponsors include the University of Central Missouri, Microsoft, Google Fiber, Truman Medical Centers, Kansas City Economic Development Corporation, UMB Bank, Honeywell, Kansas City Public Schools Mentoring, DeBruce Foundation and GBA.

The BIT Gathering was held at Missouri Innovation Campus, a state-of-the-art, high-tech facility, housing UCM undergraduate completion and graduate degrees as well as professional education. Through a unique partnership, the building is also home to Summit Technology Academy, operated by the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District and serving high schools within a number of other area school districts.

The UCM Gigabit Lab is designed for growth-oriented companies and innovators and helps them develop products designed primarily in the education, cyber and healthcare vertical. The focus is on education, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, workforce and healthcare applications that can be deployed to students and teachers in K-12 grades and UCM degree and certificate programs.

For more information about Brothers In Technology, contact Ina P. Montgomery, founder and executive director of Urban TEC, at kcbitgathering@gmail.com or (816) 533-5693.