Tech Year NYC
Program Calendar, Curriculum, and Templates
We invite New York City tech companies to participate in a new program that provides students with professional workplace experiences in the tech industry and beyond, starting with a 5-week workplace challenge placement at tech companies this summer.
Industry Exposure
Job Readiness
Storytelling & Professional Skill-Building
Industry Exposure Job Readiness Storytelling & Professional Skill-Building
About Tech Year NYC
Tech Year NYC serves as the citywide connective tissue for job opportunities & career advancement in NYC’s tech sector for young adults from populations historically under-represented in tech.
This initiative rolls up a wide range of citywide workforce development programming into one unified access point that benefits both NYC youth and tech employers. It helps young adults contextualize the unique aspects of the tech industry & their career journey by incorporating:
Industry exposure (open houses, CS fair, hackathons, attending tech events)
Job readiness (hiring panels, job shadowing, workplace challenge)
Storytelling & professional skill-building (resume workshops, interview prep)
Program Calendar
| Initiative | Virtual or In Person? | Number of Students | Volunteers Needed | Est. Time Commitment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Host a workplace challenge | Virtual (in-person optional) | 10-15 per cohort (can host multiple cohorts) | 1 lead per cohort, 1-3 functional experts as needed | 2-5 hours of prep, 20 hours of student interaction across 5 weeks (can be split among volunteers) |
| Fall | Host an open house | In Person | 10-15 per cohort (can host multiple cohorts) | 1-3 volunteers | 2 hours of prep, 1-2 hours of student interaction |
| Winter/Spring | Host a one-day job shadowing externship | In Person | 1-5 per cohort (can host multiple cohorts) | 1 volunteer per cohort | 1-2 hours of prep, 5-8 hours of student interaction |
| Ongoing | Participate in or host a hiring panel discussion | Virtual or In-Person | 40-80 students | If hosting: 3-5 volunteers for panel, If participating: 1 volunteer | 1-2 hours of prep, 1-2 hours of student interaction |
| Participate in or host a resume review workshop | Virtual or In-Person | 15-30 students | If hosting: 5-10 volunteers for panel, If participating: 1 volunteer | 1-2 hours of prep, 1-2 hours of student interaction | |
| Participate in or host a mock interviews | Virtual or In-Person | 15-30 students | If hosting: 5-10 volunteers for panel, If participating: 1 volunteer | 1-2 hours of prep, 1-2 hours of student interaction | |
| Participate in or host technical interviews | In-Person | 15-30 students | If hosting: 5-10 volunteers for panel, If participating: 1 volunteer | 1-2 hours of prep, 1-2 hours of student interaction | |
| Invite students to a tech event at your company | Virtual or In-Person | varies | varies | 1-3 hours of student interaction (depending on event type) |
Summer Workplace Challenges
The cornerstone of our summer program is the 5-week workplace challenge. This project-based learning initiative invites students to design a "challenge project" based on a real business need in marketing, product, engineering or design.
Each participating student will be a part of a cohort of 10-15 students. Each cohort will include an adult “cohort lead” (either a teacher or a non-profit partner) who will assist the students in the day-to-day completion of their projects.
Timing
May 2 - May 27: Employer enrollment
June 6 - June 24: Employer matches released on rolling basis
June 27 - July 8: Introductory calls between employer and partners (either non-profit or school facilitators)
July 5: Student program launch
July 11 - August 12: Workplace challenge program (2-5 hours a week for 5 weeks)
EMPLOYER PARTNERS WILL
Design a “workplace challenge” for youths based on a real business need or problem in one of 4 areas: product, engineering, marketing, or design.
Recruit employee volunteers to meet virtually once a week for 6 weeks with one or more cohorts (each cohort contains 10-15 youths) for two hour-long interactions (can separate into shorter time frames as needed). Volunteers can optionally meet with youth for additional time slots, if needed.
Offer feedback and reflection at a virtual final workplace challenge presentation.
TECH YEAR NYC WILL
Match employer partners with a school or non-profit partner
Match students with companies
Compensate students for their time with a stipend
Oversee student relationships through school and non-profit cohort leaders
Support employer partners with creating a workplace challenge
| Dates | Weekly Objective | Expected Employer Participation | Expected Student Output | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISCOVER | July 5-8 | Student Kickoff | N/A | Students will meet with their cohorts and cohort leaders |
| Week 1, July 11-15 | Industry Kickoff: Introduce Workplace Challenges | Discuss company, brand & problem statement, brainstorm challenge project ideas, and review timeline of weekly check-ins | Talk with group, get to know each other, learn about company | |
| BUILD | Week 2, July 18-22 | Check in #1: Setting Direction | Check in on the scope of the workplace challenge, answer student questions, and redirect resources as needed. | Develop outline for project with group, identify roles, start research, create game plan |
| Week 3, July 25-29 | Check in #2: Status Update | Review student work to date on the workplace challenge, offer feedback on progress. | Conduct first wave of research or technical diligence on the project, work with peers to create a summary of early learnings | |
| Week 4, Aug 1-5 | Check in #3: Final Sprint | Review student work, offer a round of feedback and tips for the final presentation. | Make relevant changes to the project, conduct additional research as necessary, start to compile into a presentation for Launch Week | |
| LAUNCH | Week 5, Aug 8-12 | Closing: Workspace Challenge Presentation | See student presentations. Give feedback on their work. Leave the last 30 minutes for discussions about how your company hires and advice on getting a job in your industry. | Present the materials from their final presentation to the employers, receive feedback and advice on their work |
How to Design a Workplace Challenge
What are your tech hurdles? Where do you require forward-thinking solutions or an alternative approach?
Present a challenge to students that is authentic, relevant to their lives, and pushes them to think creatively in their problem solving. Look at the problems you are currently trying to solve and provide students sufficient access to the skills and resources necessary to tackle the challenge.
Suggested Framework:
Position this project as a creative sprint
Pose the question: How might we...?
Give students a structure for how to approach a problem, ideate, and choose a solution
Provide opportunities for both individual brainstorming and teamwork
Finish the project with a presentation to your leadership team
Advice for Student Engagement:
Identify the essential knowledge & skills students will need to know/learn in order to engage the challenge in earnest
Identify what the ideal/MVP for work output looks like
Clearly communicate what you want students to do and how they will be evaluated
Use weekly check-ins as opportunities to give feedback on their projects, share business context, or offer mini-lessons on technical topics they might need
Ask the high school version of yourself the same question/give the same challenge. Would that version of you understand what to do? If not, what would you have needed to be successful?
Creating workspace challenges
Templates & Tips
