Bold Idea, INC

Bold Idea fills in this educational gap. Alongside our corporate and community partners, we are making sure that every student has access to computer science. Seventy percent of our students are racial minorities or from low-income households. When students attend our ideaSpark program, they are gaining necessary computer science skills through our distinct curriculum and the expertise of our volunteer mentors. We focus specifically on middle school grades to build student interest and skills early, while preparing them to succeed in challenging computer science and math subjects in high school.

Beyond the technical computer science skills, ideaSpark students are also being equipped with the abilities, habits, and mindsets needed to succeed in the information age - from college and career to citizenship and their personal lives. More specifically, our program methods encourage development in these areas: Creativity & Innovation, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Communication, and Collaboration.

Bold Idea’s long-term goals are increased equity in computer science education and a diverse workforce that is qualified to succeed in 21st-century jobs in technology and engineering fields.

Bold Idea’s ideaSpark Computer Science Mentoring Program pairs students with hands-on computing projects and supportive technology mentors. Each week when a student comes to their session of ideaSpark, they spend time working with a mentor and a small group of peers on a computer science project.

Students create hands-on computer science projects that include mobile apps, websites, and games. Students complete their projects using computers provided either by the host site or the sponsoring company. Bold Idea writes the project-based curriculum that mentors use to teach the students. One of our students with the help of her mentors is a great example of what these students can do. She created a mobile application that recommends appropriate clothing based on real-time weather data. The curriculum is very effective in engaging students in the learning process. Recently, a community center host site staff member commented with amazement on how focused the students are during their time with Bold Idea mentors.

Outside the weekly sessions, students also get to hear guest speakers and take company tours. Professionals from area technology companies visit to share their expertise and provide insight into potential careers. The tour of north Texas technology companies increases students' awareness of today's workforce and career options.

Collaboration is key in Bold Idea’s success in ensuring every student has access to computer science education. Partnerships between technology leaders, schools, and community organizations are foundational to effectively closing the gap in computer science education. Bold Idea is focused on creating, maintaining, and expanding these partnerships to best serve students.

Bold Idea's mentors are volunteers from north Texas technology companies and universities. As software engineers, web developers, or product designers, our mentors have technical skills and real world experience that inspires the students they work with. We have partnerships with Alkami Technology, Bottle Rocket, Credera, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Pariveda Solutions, and the University of North Texas at Dallas. Many mentors volunteer for more than one semester and recruit colleagues to join.

In addition to our mentors and team captains, our program sites are also an important part of our success. Schools, recreation centers, and community centers provide the space necessary for our students and mentors to meet. Bold Idea is a Dallas ISD partner and works closely with the district’s STEM Department to align with its goals in computer science.

Bold Idea currently has two staff members: CEO and Education Director. Our core competency is technology, and our deep experience in this field informs our curriculum development and partnerships, in order to prepare students for success in careers that benefit from their technology skills.

Robyn Brown serves as CEO of Bold Idea and is responsible for the overall strategy and delivery of the organization's education programs, expansion, and the execution of its mission. She cultivates strong partnerships and volunteer teams, and leads the mentor training program. Robyn has ten years of experience in public relations and marketing communications for companies in the technology industry, including Microsoft and Dell, as well as several technology startups. In her free time, she has volunteered as a Girl Scout troop leader for girls in High School and four years as the director of a summer day camp.

Ben Davis serves as Education Director of Bold Idea and is responsible for the design and development of Bold Idea's computer science curriculum and measurement. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from Baylor University, he worked in full-stack web development working on several digital marketing teams. His experience includes projects with large Fortune 50 companies and public institutions, including ExxonMobil, NASA, Rackspace, 7-Eleven, Nokia, and the University of Texas Medical Branch. Ben’s 20 years of experience in web development has helped him hone his expertise in a wide array of internet technologies.

We are able to keep a relatively small staff team because the majority of our programming is executed by volunteers from our corporate partners. Each program site is led by two team captains who are responsible for coordinating the delivery of the ideaSpark program each week. Skilled in communications and project management, team captains work with mentoring teams and partners to create a high-quality learning experiences for students.

Each year Bold Idea relies on 100 to 125 volunteers to mentor students as they build computer science and problem solving skills through hands-on computing projects. Most of these volunteers have backgrounds in technology, including professional roles as engineers and computer programmers, as well as university students in a technology field of study. Mentors develop positive, encouraging relationships with students at Bold Idea program sites and serve as role models to support students’ career aspirations in technology. Mentors challenge students to collaborate and to solve any problems they encounter.

Bold Idea began developing the ideaSpark computer science mentoring program in early 2015 with pilot testing during the spring and fall semesters of 2015 with a diverse set of students. We launched the weekly program in January 2016 and have completed eight program semesters, between 10 - 14 weeks each, to date.

Since January 2016, Bold Idea has served 399 unique students at nine program sites in Dallas and Collin Counties. Of this amount, 82 percent were in 5th to 9th grades. 68% of those students experienced coding or computer science for the first time and an average of 45% of students have registered for more than one semester of programming. Additionally, 70% of our students are from low-income households.

These statistics affirm that we are achieving our mission to help North Texas students discover computer science and become technologically prepared no matter what career they choose.

Students collectively received 4,322 hours of mentoring combined since 2017. Bold Idea has trained 333 volunteers to provide ongoing mentoring and skill development in computer science, a 20-28 hour commitment each school semester.

During the 2020/2021 semesters, we expect to serve 300 Dallas-area students in 5th to 8th grades. We currently have seven program sites in Dallas County. We are in the process of adding three more program sites. Each site is delivered in collaboration with a multi-year corporate partner, who provides both funding and volunteer mentors for the site.