A look at how IGT’s flagship After School Advantage program gives students access to technology and encourages interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM).
By IGT (International Game Technology)
Published January 21, 2025
To help young people develop the knowledge and skills they’ll need for the jobs of tomorrow, IGT is committed to providing technology resources and promoting STEAM education. For more than 25 years, the company’s After School Advantage (ASA) program has advanced such educational opportunities through digital learning centers in communities where IGT operates.
ADVERTISEMENT
Each ASA digital learning center is completely unique, catering to the specific needs of the organization receiving the donation and the community it supports. Over the years, the program has provided significant learning resources to open up career paths and future opportunities for thousands of individuals.
Highlights of IGT’s ASA activities in the past year:
USA: New York
Since 2018, the organization Rise High has expanded educational opportunities for young people in Schenectady, NY, by offering engaging learning programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Originally serving one cohort of 20 sixth-grade students, the program has expanded to support five cohorts of more than 80 students in grades 6 to 12.
An IGT donation in 2024 helped to enable further growth as the program added a sixth cohort, with a seventh planned for January 2025. IGT’s donation includes 15 Lenovo 16” Multi-Touch Thinkbooks and 18 Acer 14” 128GB Chromebooks, which will allow Rise High to expand its impact, making a tangible difference in the students’ academic and professional futures.
As part of its commitment to empowering underserved communities, Mission Fulfilled 2030 of Rochester, NY, provides access to high-quality education, fosters innovation, and inspires the next generation of leaders. Through hands-on training in coding, STEM, and entrepreneurship, the organization’s Youth Tech Entrepreneurs Program encourages creativity and critical thinking. Graduates have gone on to launch successful startups, pursue higher education in STEM fields, and become leaders in their communities.
IGT’s donation of technology equipment including Lenovo gaming desktops, Acer Chromebooks, and smart TVs will equip the Youth Tech Entrepreneurs Program to provide local students with the tools and skills needed to advance their educational journeys.
Canada
IGT brought the After School Advantage program to Moncton, New Brunswick, with a donation of 40 laptop computers to the Magnetic Hill School’s Technology Education curriculum. The school’s new portable technology lab enables the school to deliver its Middle School Technology Education program in nearly any location to the entire student population.
As a new addition to the program, the school’s Tech Club program will be offered to fifth-grade students for the first time. Prior to Magnetic Hill School, IGT has provided After School Advantage computer labs to Moncton’s Forest Glen and Bessborough schools.
Caribbean
Through the ASA program in 2024, IGT held its fourth annual Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp, a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics training initiative for Caribbean youth aged 12-18, where more than 70 students from five Caribbean countries learned to apply technological solutions to the region’s climate issues.
There are 38 IGT After School Advantage computer centers in the Caribbean. In the four years since the Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp began, more than 200 students across the Caribbean have been trained to become innovators and problem-solvers in an ever-evolving digital world.
Costa Rica
In April 2024, in honor of both World Science and Technology Day and International Day of Girls in Information and Communication Technologies, IGT donated $15,000 worth of equipment to Costa Rica’s Paniamor Foundation. The donation contributed to the Foundation’s TechnoBus program, a mobile platform equipped with cutting-edge technology designed to close the digital gap that affects minors in socially disadvantaged communities.
IGT’s donation included three 3D printers, 10 state-of-the-art computers, and 18 3D pens with screens. With this donation, the TechnoBus will visit more than 10 educational centers where more than 1,500 children between the ages of 4 and 9 will learn to use these tools safely and responsibly.
Italy
IGT’s AI GIRLS program delivers free digital training on the advanced use of generative AI to girls aged 16 to 18 from schools all over Italy. The program helps students build skills to bridge the gender gap and create more inclusive communities. In its first three years, the program reached nearly 1,000 girls.
In 2024, IGT introduced AI GIRLS Level Up, a training path dedicated to 15 brilliant AI GIRLS who completed the program’s previous curriculum. AI GIRLS Level Up aims to provide those 15 students with specialized training, mentorship, masterclasses, networking opportunities, and access to workshops and conferences.
