The no-cost program of the Greater Omaha Chamber pairs elementary through post-secondary students seeking engagement and information with regional businesses and nonprofits. The goal: to create career interest, grow the area’s talent pipeline and connect organizations with future employees.
For the second year in a row, AIM participated in Careerockit by facilitating tech learning modules hosted at Union Pacific Railroad. Approximately 25 AIM employees volunteered nearly 100 hours over the course of the week.
Youth explored technology and workforce readiness skills by working on authentic, real-life projects reflective of career skills needed at Union Pacific. The Engineers Who Code learning modules were “hands on/minds open” in design and allowed students to interact with career professionals.
During the Build a Web Page session, high school students learned about tech career opportunities in Nebraska, built their own HTML web pages, and found out about additional web development learning resources.
The experience allowed students to see and feel the culture of UPRR and allowed AIM to engage with other community partners such as OPS and Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands.
“An effort of this scale is only possible with countless partners and supporters,” said Patricia Mayorga, manager, talent, Greater Omaha Chamber. “We are extremely grateful to all the businesses and nonprofits that are participating and to our school districts at all levels from superintendents, to principals, teachers, and of course students. Everyone’s contributions have added up to this great and massive initiative called Careerockit––thank you.”
They will advance to the NSB National Finals this spring in Washington, D.C., as announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
“The National Science Bowl® continues to be one of the premier academic competitions across the country and prepares America’s students for future successes in some of the world’s fastest-growing fields in science, technology, and engineering,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.
The National Science Bowl® is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics. Middle and high school student teams from diverse backgrounds are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach.
The King Science team faced off in a fast-paced, question-and-answer competition where they solved technical problems and answered questions on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics and math.
“I am proud to oversee a Department that provides such a unique and empowering opportunity for our nation’s students, and I am honored to congratulate King Science and Technology Magnet School in advancing to the National Finals, where they will continue to showcase their talents as the top minds in math and science,” said Perry.
The top 16 middle school teams in the National Finals will win $1,000 for their schools’ science departments. More than 275,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl® in its 27-year history, making it is one of the nation’s largest science competitions.
The knowledge and study habits that former NSB competitors have acquired have led them to success in a variety of fields. Many have become researchers; others are science and math professors at some of the nation’s top universities.
The NSB said that the math and science knowledge students need to be successful in the competition can also lead to successful careers in other fields. The 2018 NSB competitors will follow in the footsteps of previous National Science Bowl® contestants and will blaze a trail for students in science, math and engineering for the next quarter-century.
The King Science team will be heading to Washington, D.C. to compete in the final round of the National Science Bowl® between April 26 to April 30.
Naomi See is committed to helping and supporting women in tech, mainly because of all the messages she got along the way saying tech was a path she couldn’t or shouldn’t pursue.
Naomi is a software analyst at West Corporation, where she has worked on everything from interactive voice recording software to automating internal processes and building mobile apps.
She is one of three organizers of this Saturday’s Django Girls workshop at Agape Red, along with Anna Ossowski and Sandi Barr. Naomi is also involved with Project 18, a movement to make Omaha the most tech-friendly city for women in the country.
Naomi says it is important to talk about the various barriers women in tech face. She says she began running into them at an early age.
“I was really interested in tech. I used to take computers apart, I would break OS systems on a regular basis, to figure things out and try to understand,” she remembers. “When I was young, I got told a lot that I shouldn’t. Any kind of interest I showed [in tech], I was just kind of shuffled on to something else,” she says.
She remembers a turning point, working at a job where she says her employers were condescending.
“I don’t want my intelligence challenged by these executives who don’t even know who I am,” she remembers thinking. “So I was like, I need to get to school.”
A tough place to break into tech
Naomi went on to get Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees, and took the Java Specialization course at Interface Web School.
Despite her educational experience, she says Omaha was and still can be a tough place to break into tech. She says employers here tend to be less open to candidates without computer science degrees and multiple years of experience.
“It’s hard to get in that funnel if you are not going the traditional path,” she says. “It’s difficult when you meet people who have gone through a more traditional path and have their own career, they certainly have had their own struggles. But they don’t necessarily understand the struggle of literally not thinking you can do it, and then making the struggle to do it mid-life. It’s a different story to tell. I want to tell that story, and I want to help women to do that.”
Now, Naomi feels driven to share her experiences with people who want to shift gears. She says connecting with others in the tech community is crucial.
“Jump into the community as quick as you can. Find people who are willing to help you and latch on to them. It’s good to have people in the community who have been there, done that, who can not necessarily say ‘no, no, no,’ but can kind of guide you,” she says.
Naomi hopes the Django Girls workshop gives participants a taste of the power and creativity that comes with learning to code.
“I hope their interests are piqued and I hope they continue. The program has some additional learning steps after the class,” she says.
She is excited about the momentum of Project 18.
“What made me get involved in Project 18 is that I went to the second meeting and there were 50-plus people there. 50-plus people willing to do something. And that was huge for me,” she says.
Her goal is to have honest conversations about the hurdles women in tech face. She says when women approach her about getting into the field, her first question is, why?
“I also want to be very honest with them, this is going to be hard. This is going to take a lot of commitment, you are going to have to make sacrifices,” she says. “You have to go into it with a plan.”
But with enough hard work, she says a career can go any number of directions.
“You don’t necessarily have to work for a corporation. If you are motivated enough and you have the ability and the time, you can do your own thing,” she says.
Naomi says it’s all about helping people get to know and connect with each other, and build each other up.
“The stories of what women are experiencing haven’t been said enough. People have been shamed into thinking they can’t or shouldn’t share their stories,” she says. “I feel like that is a lot of what I experience in the Midwest, is a lot of ‘Nebraska Nice’ — don’t say anything negative. And it’s not necessarily negative, it’s the truth.The truth needs to be said in order for change to occur.”
Interface: The Web School partnered with Appsky Labs, an Omaha-based software development company, on a fundraising project with the Great Plains Black History Museum. Together, the organizations hope to raise $3,000 to pay for the development of a new website for the museum.
The Great Plains Black History Museum’s mission is “to preserve, celebrate and educate all people of the contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout the great plains of America.” Last fall, the museum moved into North Omaha’s historic Jewell Building at 2221 N. 24th St.
The new website will help the museum expand its impact in the local community and beyond. Visit the fundraising page to contribute.
––
Starting or expanding a career in tech can feel like its own part-time job. AIM’s free Tech Concierge program is here to help.
Tech Concierge is a free service for job seekers to establish a pathway to a successful career in tech. The program offers one-on-one guidance provided by experienced AIM career coaches.
“What an amazing feeling to realize I was able to learn new technology after having been away from that line of work for a period of time,” said Tina Holmes, Tech Concierge Member. “I would not have been able to start the journey I am currently on without the support from AIM and their tech concierge program.
Tech Concierge can also help by offering a variety of resources to support job seekers, including one-on-one career coaching, tutoring services and introductory tech courses.
Find out more about Tech Concierge.
––
Rachel Fox comes to Interface Web School with extensive experience as a technical trainer and web developer, and can’t wait to help students pursue their dreams.
She will teach the January Foundations of Web Development course.
“My desire for this class is for students to walk away with the ability to create their online masterpieces,” she says.
Read more about Rachel Fox and Interface: The Web School.
––
AIM knows that careers take work to develop and grow, that’s why we’ve been Omaha’s career development portal for over 25 years. Each month, more than 140,000 unique visitors come to Careerlink.com in search of new opportunities.
Now, there’s another way to stay connected to Careerlink. Join our new Facebook group, AIM Careerlink, for even more in-depth career advice, the latest job openings and tech education/networking opportunities.
Our mission is to grow, connect and inspire the tech talent ecosystem. There are countless opportunities happening around the metro for you to network, learn, or just have fun. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite upcoming events below.
Be sure to check out on our full events list to keep you informed on everything that’s happening in tech. Do you have an upcoming event that you want to share with our community? Contact us and your event could be featured on CareerHub.
––
We recharge everything these days. From laptops to smartphones, tablets to wearables. So, why not recharge your idea bank for professional inspiration?
Registration is open for AIM Infotec, happening March 27, 2018 at the Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center. Infotec is the largest annual gathering of technology pros, executives and vendors in the Midwest. Breakout sessions, skill-building workshops, a bustling exhibition floor, and inspiring keynotes from nationally recognized experts will be presented.
Whether it’s your first time attending or you’ve been before, there is always something each attendee takes away from this one-of-a-kind conference.
Visit AIM Infotec to register for more information
––
February 6, 5:30 p.m.
Omaha Agile Development: Unpacking Design Thinking
Welcome to Omaha Agile’s first meetup of 2018. We know it’s short notice, but we have an opportunity to learn about a topic that is making more and more of a buzz in the industry. Design Thinking. Businesses are constantly exploring ways to enthrall customers. Oftentimes, capturing the unstated needs/wants leads to creation of new offerings that re-engage and delight the customers. Design thinking is a powerful tool to uncover such needs and wants which helps to build meaningful systems. This session will give you a POV from a practitioners perspective in using design thinking, in a business-technology context.
––
February 7, 9 a.m.
1 Million Cups featuring Allie Esch, Dundee Venture Capital
As an associate at Dundee Venture Capital, Allie Esch’s current focus is on sourcing investment opportunities in addition to helping the Dundee VC team analyze the market and industry trends impacting the technology sector. Presentation starts at 9:15 am.
(Recurring every Wednesday)
––
February 12, 6:30-7 p.m.
No More Empty Pots – Local food pop-up
Meet foodie friends, try new locally-made products and get to know the people that create them!
RSVP to this free event to get notifications for sneak peeks of the enticing products that will be there in the coming days!
––
Starts February 15
AIM Interface School – Java Specialization
This course provides you with all the information and training you need to start a career as a Java developer by providing practical knowledge and experience for real-world situations. You’ll work with the front-end, to the server by creating web pages, to working with databases, and everything in between. You’ll walk away from this course versatile enough to not only write code, but effectively debug too as a promising junior team member and full-stack developer.
––
February 16, 8:00 a.m.
I Am Girls Conference presented by The Urban League of Nebraska
“I Am…” Girls Conference, presented by The Urban League of Nebraska, is a day-long event that empowers all girls between the 7th and 12th grade to excel in their education and their individual lives. These girls will meet successful female and male professionals and attend motivational workshops. The conference is held from 8:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. on Friday, February 16, 2018 at the College of Saint Mary. Transportation is provided!
––
February 20, 6 p.m.
Omaha Java Users Group, Datomic: Rethinking the Database
Omaha’s Java and JVM User Group. For Java Professionals of all languages and frameworks that run in the JVM including Java, Groovy, Grails, Scala, Clojure, JRuby, Android, Javascript, etc. We also cover enterprise and web dev topics such as architecture, testing, security, and scalability. Promoting the Java community, supporting each other, sharing some pizza, and hanging out to socialize after the meetings!
––
March 1, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
YP Summit
During the 2018 YP Summit, our promise is to activate curiosity and cultivate professional, personal and community growth through intentional development, inspiration and empowerment. Over the course of the day, through change-making keynotes and empowering breakouts, we will celebrate differences, foster connections, grow inclusivity and initiate positive, community-enhancing change – all with the goal of bringing a new layer of vibrancy to our community.
––
March 5, 5:30 p.m.
Omaha Amazon Web Services Meetup: Deep Dive into Cloud Computing using EC2
This group is a forum to gather and share experiences around Cloud Computing, especially Amazon Web Services. If you have used AWS services (ie EC2, S3, RDS, DynamoDB, Redshift, EMR) or are interested in learning more about how others have, come join our group.
––
March 27, 8 a.m.
AIM Infotec 2018
Join 1,000+ of the region’s most talented tech professionals at Infotec 2018, the Silicon Prairie’s premier annual business tech community gathering. AIM Infotec combines the best of big conferences and small networking events into one action-packed experience, focusing on the intersections of technology, business and innovation. This year’s engaging breakout sessions, empowering keynotes and talent mixers will be its best yet.
