K-12 Tech Education

  • Infotec 2021 virtual conference to feature keynote speaker Mike Smith, co-executive director of Rabble Mill

    Infotec 2021 virtual conference to feature keynote speaker Mike Smith, co-executive director of Rabble Mill

    Life as a tech professional can be hard. Not at Infotec 2021, conference organizers say, previewing a robust virtual digital event experience aimed at helping attendees grow professionally while connecting with other IT and web professionals in the heartland.  After successfully hosting Infotec 2020 in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AIM…

  • New chair of AIM Institute Tech Leadership Academy encourages representation, giving back

    New chair of AIM Institute Tech Leadership Academy encourages representation, giving back

    In Todd Campbell’s home recording studio, a Fender Telecaster rests against a small amplifier in front of a green-screen wall that doubles as a backdrop for the tech leadership classes he teaches virtually. Whenever the application development senior manager for TD Ameritrade gets stuck on a hard technical problem and needs a respite from the…

  • Is it over yet? A look back at 2020

    Is it over yet? A look back at 2020

    We have yet to meet anyone who wishes this year would last longer.  From COVID-19 to civil unrest to political and economic turmoil, 2020 brought us a number of challenges and tragedies beyond the scope of this article. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that December is almost over.  So while it might seem premature…

  • Virtual awards ceremony a first for Omaha’s tech community

    Virtual awards ceremony a first for Omaha’s tech community

    Last night, members of Omaha’s tech and startup communities attended the first-ever virtual version of the AIM Tech Awards, a celebration of local innovators and changemakers in the technology sector.  A prerecorded ceremony streamed on a virtual stage, accompanied by a live chat constantly scrolling with affirmations, congratulations and commentary from attendees. Traditionally held in…

  • Union Pacific strengthens tech workforce with internships for first-generation college students

    Union Pacific strengthens tech workforce with internships for first-generation college students

    Omaha-based Fortune 500 company Union Pacific recently gave two young Omahans a unique behind-the-scenes look at the world of tech. This summer, after participating in a coding education program during their senior year of high school, Omaha South alums Suraj Poudel and Evelyn Espinoza Macias began working paid tech internships at the 158-year-old enterprise. The…

  • Local programming instructor champions the life-changing power of coding

    Local programming instructor champions the life-changing power of coding

    Vanessa Kasun is debugging some code, finalizing her presentation for the upcoming Heartland Developers Conference on Sept. 24. The topic? How to build a React app from the ground up. Kasun, an instructor at AIM Code School, will take HDC attendees from installation of the Node.js open-source cross-platform Javascript runtime environment to launching a simple…

  • From menace to memory booster: video games connect youth, community, nonprofits, thanks to Community Esports League

    From menace to memory booster: video games connect youth, community, nonprofits, thanks to Community Esports League

    A Kansas City-based esports league is working to connect communities and assist non-profits through competitive video gaming. Community Esports League is an inclusive, community-driven gaming league geared towards youth and hobbyist gamers to foster healthy competition and the creation of sustainable connections online.  AbdulRasheed Yahaya, chief business development officer for Community Esports League, said the…

  • Populus teams up with TheirSpace to offer tutoring for students and coworking for parents

    Populus teams up with TheirSpace to offer tutoring for students and coworking for parents

    With school reopening plans in apparent flux, Omaha coworking space Populus is teaming up with TheirSpace to offer tutoring sessions for students and coworking space for parents starting September 8. Reservations are open now and can be made online. Populus will provide two tutoring sessions to choose from each weekday in 4-hour intervals, one from…

  • Do Space launches no-cost virtual job interview lab, helping Nebraskans return to work

    Do Space launches no-cost virtual job interview lab, helping Nebraskans return to work

    For the approximately 19 million Americans without internet service, COVID-19 poses a stark roadblock to looking for work: the online job interview. As more companies switch to virtual interviews, jobseekers face a Catch-22. How can you get a job if you can’t do the interview online? How can you afford the internet if you don’t…

  • UNO students team up to develop 1-Check COVID app

    UNO students team up to develop 1-Check COVID app

    As the global pandemic spread this spring, a trio of University of Nebraska at Omaha students helped quickly turn an idea into a valuable COVID-19 screening tool. The 1-Check COVID app was the result of an interdisciplinary team effort across the University of Nebraska Medical Center and UNO. Staff from the emergency medicine department at…