FloridaWorks, Santa Fe College CIED, and David Massias, CEO of New Business Ventures, provided 42 high school students with an eight-week training seminar on technology and its evolving role in entrepreneurship development in TechQuest I.

 

During the course of this training, successful entrepreneurs, chief executive officers and community leaders introduced themselves to the TechQuest youth, sharing personal stories of growth and success and discussing their individual invention and/or start-up companies. Discussion leaders featured Jamie Grooms, co-founder and former CEO of Regeneration Technologies and Axogen; Bryan Da Frota, CEO of Prioria Robotics, Inc.; Eric Buffkin, co-founder and president of eTect; Randy Scott, former CEO of Novamin Technology Inc., and many more.

Upon completion of the program, each student earned an iPad to enhance their communication, research, writing, technology and financial literacy skills; completed the application process with Santa Fe College; and participated in summer internship opportunities with local businesses and start-up companies.

The program ended on May 17, 2011 with a graduation ceremony at Gainesville Technical Entreprise Center's 10-year anniversary celebration. TechQuest II ended on December 14, 2011 and TechQuest III is scheduled for the spring of 2012.

Students took the TABE test prior to the program and were retested upon completion. The outcomes of the TABE retest and graduation rate are listed below.

Date Data Recorded:	Amount of students who retook the TABE assessment:	Increase in Reading, Math, or Both:	Score Neither Increased Nor Decreased:	Decrease in Both Reading and Math:	Decreased in Reading or Math but score remained the same in the other category:
August 22, 2011	38	74%	10%	8%	8%
July 20, 2011	27	74%	15%	11%

 

Date Data Recorded:	Amount of Seniors in the Program:	Amount who Graduated High School:	Amount who Continued to Post-Secondary School:
September 16, 2011	16	16	15

 

TechQuest in the Media:

Youth Graduate From TechQuest - FloridaWorks Newsletter

High School Students Complete TechQuest Entrepreneurship Training - Alachua County Today

Santa Fe CIED Newsletter June/July 2011 - Santa Fe College CIED Newsletter

TechQuest: Entrepreneurship Training for Youth - Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

Santa Fe and TechQuest Entrepreneurship Training for Youth - Santa Fe College

Technology Spotlight 5/10/11: TechQuest - WCJB TV20