TOMS RIVER – More than 100 female students from Toms River’s three intermediate schools and three high schools attended a technology summit in New York City to spend the day engaged in activities.
The event on that Aug. 18 day was called “A New Reality.”
The summit centers around the message of empowerment through talks, activities and slideshows. It was created by ForUsGirls founder Aminka Belvitt.
Tiffany Lucey, the Toms River Regional School District’s supervisor of educational technology, said, “The summit was about developing the confidence to take risks, to think outside of whatever boxes we’re put in, and to bring that mindset back to our classrooms.”
According to a press release from the school district, the students heard from and spoke with women leaders who have experience in robotics, virtual reality and coding for the web. District grants provided transportation and staffing for the students’ trip to New York City.
“Our Board of Education has committed to supporting new curriculums, staff training, and bringing our technology infrastructure into the 21st century to help students be competitive locally and globally,” Superintendent of Schools David Healy said.
The students’ trip to New York City followed the completion of a summer coding camp that was attended by more than 80 high school students.
The coding camp was part of a $756,000 grant the district received from the Office of Naval Research. According to the press release, Assistant Superintendent Marc Natanagara spearheaded the grant.
According to the www.onr.navy.mil, the Office of Naval Research coordinates, executes and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.