Looking for STEM Mentorship and Volunteer Opportunities in the Shenandoah Valley?
If you or someone you know is looking to be a STEM volunteer or mentor, you're in luck! The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council has updated our list of local STEM mentorship and volunteer opportunities for 2018 - 2019. Take a moment to look over which local organizations/events/projects are in need of volunteers:
- Staunton Makerspace
- Harrisonburg City Public Schools STEM Day
- Augusta County Public Schools Annual Middle School STEM Expo
- Harrisonburg High School Robotics Team
- Shenandoah Valley Governor's School FIRST Robotics Club
- CyberDay at JMU
- Regional FIRST LEGO League Competition
- State FIRST LEGO League Competition
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November 3, 2018 | JMU ISAT-CS Building
Volunteers are currently needed!
Volunteer
This event is free and open to the public! Come see what it's all about. Prepare for excitement, robotics, and LEGOS! Better yet -- volunteer. Just a few hours of your time can have a huge impact! To sign up as a volunteer, please complete the following form:
Harrisonburg Regional FLL Tournament Volunteers.
2018 Challenge: Into Orbit
Join our mission into the 30
th season of FIRST
®! Prepare for blast off, break out of your earthly constraints and go INTO ORBIT
SM. The 2018/2019 FIRST
® LEGO
® League season will transport your team into space, where you'll explore, challenge, and innovate in the vast expanse of space.
FIRST LEGO League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the INTO ORBIT season, teams will choose and solve a real-world problem in the Project. They will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO
® MINDSTORMS
® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under the FIRST signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism
®
Team Start-Up Grants Available
Each year, the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council sponsors three new FIRST Lego League (FLL) teams from the Shenandoah Valley. Approximately half of the start-up cost of a new team is reimbursed, up to $350.
Teams must be located in the footprint of the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council's area of operation and intend to participate in the FLL competition within one year of receiving the grant. This grant can be used towards any equipment required for competition in FIRST LEGO League, including one or more LEGO robotics kits, a competition practice table, and an FLL field setup kit.
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Be an active SVTC member! Tell us what sort of programming, topics, or site visits would you like to participate in September 2018 through June 2019. What tech topics are on your mind? What makes a techie's heart skip a beat? Is there an organization, program, team, or business location you'd like to hear from or visit?
Crack open the survey, below, and select which topics you'd like to hear about. Or, -- add one!
Please note that we are a not-for-profit, so we look for speakers from the Valley with minimal or no travel or other expenses.
Love SVTC events and programming? How about joining the Events and Programming Committee? Send Nicky an email,
info@svtc-va.org, to join.
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SCCF Workshop - Getting Started with Google Analytics (8/28)
August 28, 2018 |
12 pm - 1 pm | $20
Staunton Creative Community Fund
If you don't know what Google Analytics is, haven't installed it on your website, or have installed it but never look at your data, this workshop is for you! This workshop will look at Google Analytics from the absolute beginner's point of view. Why you need it, how to get it, how to use it, and workarounds to common problems.
Register for August 28, 2018 SCCF Workshop
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SVTC Luncheon:
Online Marketing and the Offhand Selling of Identity (9/13)
September 13, 2018 | 11:45 am - 1 pm
Wood Grill Buffet, Harrisonburg
The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council is excited to announce that Michele Strano from Bridgewater College will be joining us for our September luncheon. Her talk will focus on the key characteristics of digital media that have revolutionized the way marketers and consumers interact. While the idea of targeting an audience can be traced back to early newspaper advertising, Web 2.0 enables marketers to gather data about consumer preferences easily and often invisibly. In addition to describing some of the key processes involved in online marketing, Michele will touch on some of the potential concerns we might have in a system that trades privacy for individualized content and convenience.
Michele Strano is an Associate Professor in the Communication, Technology and Culture major at Bridgewater College. Her research and teaching interests focus on the creation of online identity, the cultural impact of the digital age and the collection of data in the interest of effective message design. Strano is the director of Bridgewater's Master of Arts in Digital Media Strategy, scheduled for launch in January 2019, pending accreditation approval.
Thank you to our luncheon sponsor!
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SAVE THE DATE | Broaden Your Horizons: A Small Business Symposium | September 26, 2018
September 26, 2018 |
7:30 am - 12:30 pm
VMI Hall of Valor Marshall Center, Lexington
This event will include a keynote speaker and 12 breakout sessions regarding marketing, finances, accounting & doing business within the Commonwealth to help you think outside your walls.
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SVTC's Fall Tech Mixer (9/27)
September 27, 2018 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Beyond Restaurant, Harrisonburg
Join the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council on September 27th for our annual Fall Tech Mixer. Hosted by the SVTC's Board of Directors, this is our fall networking event.
Come and find out what the SVTC is doing as an organization, and what our members are doing individually. This is our second biggest event of the year (only Tech Nite is bigger). This is where the growing technology community goes in the fall to catch up. SVTC members are corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, coders, programmers and more. Membership is not required to participate in the Fall Tech Mixer nor many SVTC events. Feel free to invite a co-worker, customer, friend or spouse (please register each).
Come out and join current and potential members as they mingle and network. Appetizers are 'on us'! Drinks are Dutch treat.
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Valley TechCon | Hotel Madison, Harrisonburg (9/28)
Sponsorship Opportunities Available!
September 28, 2018 | 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Hotel Madison, Harrisonburg
(Networking event @ Pale Fire after 4pm)
Ticket Information
Early Bird (on sale until 8/31): $100
Regular Ticket (on sale after 8/31): $125
Student (high school or college): $50
The inaugural Valley TechCon brings together technology enthusiasts, practitioners, researchers, and business leaders to facilitate idea sharing, collaboration, and innovation. Sessions will cover a broad spectrum of topics from autonomous vehicles to artificial intelligence. The goal is to inspire new ideas, improve business efficiency with emerging technologies, springboard new ventures, and expand networking opportunities.
Breakout Sessions
Beyond the keynote and featured speakers, guests will have the opportunity to attend five breakout sessions. Each session is composed of three different topics so you can choose the information most relevant to you.
Networking Event
Following the conference, you will be shuttled to Pale Fire Brewing company in bustling downtown Harrisonburg for a post-conference networking event. Meet peers, entrepreneurs, and influencers from the tech industry.
Incredible Speakers
ValleyTechCon18 has attracted presenters from private industry, government, and higher education to present on a broad spectrum of leading-edge technology and business development topics.
Sponsorship Opportunities are still available!
Please see the following pdf for sponsorship opportunities and descriptions:
TechCon Sponsorship Opportunities (docx).
Please note that bronze sponsorships are SOLD OUT and only ONE silver sponsorship remains!
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Based on the National Science Foundation's I-Corps™ program for Lean Startups, ICAP helps inventors and entrepreneurs take the right first steps in bringing new technologies and innovations to market.
ICAP includes FREE introductory training and counseling offered by ICAP instructors and local SBDC business advisors. ICAP helps startups identify potential customers and develop successful business models based on that knowledge. It is an ideal program for early-stage companies trying to prepare for eventual venture investment.
Important Dates
October 10, 2018 - Acceptance notifications and communication with next steps and instructions, including how to prepare for the first session.
October 19, 2018 - 9:00am - 5:00pm - Introductory Classroom Session
October 26, 2018 - Each team participates in a pre-scheduled Telephone Review of the team's Customer Discovery Progress over the first week
November 2, 2018 - 9:00am - 2:00pm - Final Team Presentations
During this 2-week program, there is extensive work done outside the classroom. In addition to the two class meetings, participants should expect to spend another 10-15 hours per week on customer discovery and course assignments.
At the conclusion of the program, you will remain connected with your ICAP trainers and SBDC Business Advisors to continue your progress on the Five Steps to Startup Success.
This program is designed to generate a maximum impact over a relatively short duration and should be considered a required first step for anyone interested in commercializing a technology or product, whether through a startup or licensing arrangement.
Some graduates of this cohort may be eligible to apply to NSF's full National Seven-week I-Corps Program which includes non-dilutive grants for customer discovery and prototype development. Additionally, this program can help teams develop better submissions for SBIR and CRCF grants from Virginia's Center for Innovative Technologies.
Your ICAP Instructor
 Bob Smith is Director of the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), a program funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by George Mason University and the
Virginia Small Business Development Center Network (VSBDC). Here he helps researchers, inventors, and technology startups develop their technology commercialization and technology business startup efforts. He's also an instructor with the
NSF's DC I-Corp Node, and co-director of the Fed Tech program, which uses Lean Startup methods to assist inventors from government labs to explore the commercial viability of their inventions.
Bob has 30+ years' experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. He is the Chairman of
CollegeFactual.com, a leading college rankings website. He's held senior management positions at Congressional Quarterly and America Online in sales, marketing, and new product development and was the founder and CEO of the first nation-wide online city guide, Digital City. As an executive, angel investor, and advisor he has helped companies in e-commerce, e-government, identity management, content publishing, geospatial analytics, data science, and local media go from launch through to favorable exits.
Bob received a BA from USC and his MBA from GWU. He is a veteran of the US Navy.
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edUi Conference | Charlottesville (10/8 - 10/10)
Join us on October 8 - 10 for edUi! edUi is a 3-day conference for web professionals working at institutions of learning-colleges, universities, libraries, and museums. Presented by Virginia Humanities. The event will take place at a variety of venues on the scenic pedestrian mall in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia (view map).
For more information, visit:
https://www.eduiconf.org
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SAVE THE DATE | TECHSTERS| November 3, 2018
Harrisonburg
Formed in 2013, TECHSTERS is an after-school program for middle school aged girls dedicated to inspiring young women to pursue their interests in STEM fields. Since the program's first day event with robotic balls called Spheros, TECHSTERS has served over 1,100 students in the greater Richmond region. In 2017, Capital One used the TECHSTERS model to host ten regional coding programs for middle school girls all across the Commonwealth. The outcome was spectacular as they reached over 900 students in two days.
This year, using the best practices and lessons learned from Capital One in conjunction with the long-standing TECHSTERS
program, the many technology and innovation business councils of the Commonwealth will work together to host a statewide "Capture the Flag" event on Saturday, September 8 that will expose the girls to the cybersecurity industry in a fun and interactive game style.
Be on the lookout for more information soon!
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Highlighting Renewing Level III Member:
Steven Toyota will take care of all automobile needs. Whether it be sales, service, parts, or just to make a friend
!
Come see us today!
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Highlighting Renewing Level I Member:
Comcast Business
Comcast Business provides advanced solutions to help organizations of all
sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, company owned advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV, Ethernet and Voice services for cost effective, simplified communications management.
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Shenandoah Valley Open Tech Jobs
- Harrisonburg IT Department (Technology Support Specialist)
- Harrisonburg Fire Department (Systems Analyst)
- Chiedo, Harrisonburg (Web Development Intern) -- No experience required!
- Harrisonburg Rockingham Community Services Board, Harrisonburg (IT Manager)
-
JMU, Harrisonburg (Information Technology Risk and Compliance Analyst)
- Jenzabar, Harrisonburg (Software Engineer, Senior Software Developer, UX Designer, etc)
GOT ADDITIONAL JOBS THAT SHOULD BE PUBLICIZED
? SEND US A NOTE AND WE'LL PUBLICIZE THEM.
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Participate in the local tech conversation: Rocktown Tech (Slack)
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SVTC MEMBERS INVITATION: DISPLAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP STATUS
Membership Badge Available
Use our new graphic on your own website (and remember to link back to our website
www. svtc-va.org
!)
Choose the graphic file of your choice:
Let us know when you incorporate this graphic and we'll mention your site in return!
Examples:
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The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council does not endorse the companies, organizations, teams, or events mentioned, or take a stand on any of the articles or notices or events included.
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>> Ready to become a member, too? Membership
Benefits & Prices >> How have you benefited from participating in our activities and/ or from membership? Tell us! Info@svtc-va.org |
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Contact Us
Shenandoah Valley Technology Council
800 S. Main Street MSC 3615
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
540-568-7882
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