Santa Monica Youth Tech Program

Program Overview

Learn lean start-up methods, coding, UI/UX, & leadership skills

Lean Start-up Methods

Coding

Leadership

Critical Thinking

Collaboration

Program Partners

Challenging Young Minds

2018 Summer Program

Summer Program 06/18/18 - 07/27/18

What’s a goal without a deadline?

In six weeks, students learn the technology and business skills required to develop a civic-oriented startup. The application and admissions process is competitive, curriculum learned in lightspeed pace, but the achievement is worth the effort!

Eligibility

No previous experience in business or technology required

Who Can Apply

Students enrolled in 9th-12th grade and attending high school in Santa Monica are eligible to apply.

Residency: Students enrolled in 9th-12th grade currently residing in Santa Monica, but attending a high school outside of Santa Monica are also eligible to apply.

Cost

Free of charge!

Admitted Students

Must be capable of learning advanced technology and business concepts while working in a fast paced environment.

Behavior Policies

Students are required to follow strict behavior and attendance policies for the duration of the program.

Attendance Requirements

Students are required to attend Monday through Friday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Alumni Requirements

Alumni are required to participate in annual alumni events and quarterly mentor meetings until their college graduation to maintain their active status.

Competitive Application Process

Application Period 01/01/18 - 03/15/18

Online Application

Application closes 03/15/18 11:59 pm

In-depth Interview

Applicant interviews 01/22/18 – 04/02/18

Review by Selection Committee

Admission decisions by 4/12/18

Admission Decision Letters

Acceptance & rejection notices emailed by 4/12/18

A blast from the past

Here's what our alumni have to say

Previous Teams

Our students have built 18 companies during our 6-week program

Coblic

Domo Chef

Dynami Systems

Find Some Yum

Foodonym

Frame Finds

InFarmMe

Interest Alley

Khordify

Lyrnics

Merit Hero

QckPrk

SMFitNet

Spinzie

StreetGlyph

The OddSpots

TutorPlug

Zermely

Awards

People are talking about us

Award from Bright Idea: Harvard Kennedy Ash Center for Democratic Governance & Innovation

2015 - The Youth Tech Program has been designated as a “Bright Idea” by the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. The Ash Center’s Bright Ideas initiative identifies and promotes promising government programs and practices so that government leaders, public servants, and other individuals can learn about these ideas and adopt initiatives that work.

2014 - Santa Monica’s Youth Tech Program ranked 54th in InformationWeek Elite 100, a list of the top business innovators in the U.S. Santa Monica was the only local government to obtain an Elite100 ranking, attesting to a level of IT innovation on par with Fortune100 companies. The program was also featured in InformationWeek’s article, “Twenty Great Ideas to Steal,” which encourages the adoption of successful business models.

2013 - Santa Monica’s Youth Tech Program received the Technology Solutions award from the Public Technology Institute. This award recognizes local governments that demonstrate how they use technology to solve problems, provide enhanced services to the public, and improve internal operations.