YTA is both a standalone program and the collective name for the various youth-serving programs operating under its auspices.
Youth Technology Academy (YTA) In-School Program
Advanced Technology Academy (ATA) Out-of-School Program
Youth Technology Academy (YTA) In-School Program
Age: 14-18 years
Income: Must meet WIA income eligibility guidelines
Standing: Must be a high school student in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD)
Enrollment: Must complete: (1) a WIA/YTA application packet, (2) PSEOP (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program) form for college-level courses, and (3) Cuyahoga Community College application.
Contact: Tracie Haynie, Program Intake Coordinator
(216) 987-4330
Tracie.Haynie@tri-c.edu
Click here to download the YTA In-School Program brochure.
The Youth Technology Academy (YTA) is the cornerstone of the YTA suite of programs and receives WIA funding through the City of Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board.
YTA is an after-school and summer program affiliated with Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio. YTA recruits 14-to-18-year-old students exclusively from 18 Cleveland Metropolitan School District high schools and prepares them for technology and engineering careers through academic, technical, and work readiness training. YTA encourages students to pursue both post-secondary STEM education and school-to-work educational tracks geared to their interests and abilities.
YTA operates in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland TechWorks, Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, and the Cleveland Public Library. YTA partners and supporters represent business and industry, local and national foundations, colleges and universities, and the informal science community (museums and science centers).
YTA students commit to a rigorous, year-round schedule of college-level, on-campus technology classes; hands-on FIRST or VEX robotics activities; and work/life skills training. These experiences help students identify and develop their interests and skills, stimulate their analytical and critical reasoning abilities, and participate in collaborative problem solving challenges, preparing them for post-secondary academic study and careers.
Students benefit from participating in the YTA in-school program in several ways:
• Students enroll in college-level engineering technology and manufacturing courses, earning college credit toward a technical degree while still in high school;
• Students learn to apply mathematical and technical principles to real-world, real-time challenges presented by such activities as FIRST and VEX robotics;
• Students requiring academic assistance and intervention are identified and provided with tutoring services;
• Students receive occupational training and pre-work experience through job-shadowing and internship opportunities;
• Students benefit from mentor relationships with industry experts and engineering professionals; and
• Students receive soft skills and work readiness training through periodic workshops and career guidance activities.
YTA students graduate from high school with enhanced technical and job-readiness skills, making them better prepared to enter the workforce or to pursue post-secondary education.
Technical Education
CTB McGraw-Hill Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) assessments are administered at the beginning of each program year to benchmark students’ academic readiness and identify those students who will benefit from tutoring (delivered online).
All incoming YTA students enroll in the introductory Cuyahoga Community College/YTA EET-1150/Basic Robotics with Math course, which utilizes the VEX Robotics design system and introduces mathematical concepts through the fundamentals of C programming. This course originates from the Cuyahoga Community College’s Metropolitan Campus and is interactively broadcast to a series of “hubs” (area high schools, community centers, etc.), each of which is moderated by a YTA Technology Ambassador. Technology Ambassadors are teachers and technology professionals who facilitate student participation in the course, provide tutoring and follow-up assistance for materials covered in the broadcast, and conduct VEX Robotics activities that reinforce the concepts presented in each session. Technology Ambassadors receive ongoing training in programming applications to enable them to keep pace with the technologies employed in the class.
As students progress through the YTA program and define their areas of interest, they are offered the opportunity (based upon ability and experience) to participate in additional coursework in either an Engineering Technology or Advanced Manufacturing track. Courses include:
ATMT-1100, Manufacturing Skills
ATMT-1120, Machine Operations I
ATMT-1200, Machine Tool Theory
EET-2500, Instrumentation Control
MET-1120, Computer Applications and Programming
MET-1200, Engineering Drawing
Click on the links above for course descriptions.
Special topics courses may be also added to the curriculum from time to time to address particular areas of interest.
All of the above courses are for-credit courses offered by Cuyahoga Community College. Through the Ohio Department of Education’s Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP), YTA students earn college credit while still in high school.
Competitive Robotics
YTA has learned through experience that students thrive on constructive competition. The opportunity to participate in intramural, regional, and national robotics tournaments is one of the strongest attractions of the YTA program. YTA integrates competitive robotics into both in-class and outside-of-class activities, employing FIRST Robotics, VEX Robotics, and LEGO design platforms.
FIRST Robotics Team 1270, the YTA Red Dragons, is the capstone experience of the YTA program. Through personalized interaction with Tri-C instructors and career engineers, 30 varsity team members gain confidence in their intellectual and technical capabilities, make the critical connection between their academic studies and real-world applications, and showcase their abilities in exciting competitions.
In addition to their ‘home court’ at the annual FIRST Buckeye Regional Robotics Competition in Cleveland, the Red Dragons have competed successfully in regional competitions in Florida and South Carolina, as well as the FIRST Robotics Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, where they were national finalists in 2007.
YTA has also conducted VEX Robotics tournaments that encourage competition among students in the EET 1150 Basic Robotics with Math course. YTA organized a regional VEX competition on March 6, 2010, on the Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus to send the winners of that regional to the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas, in June 2010.
In its inaugural year (2003), YTA organized the first Buckeye Regional LEGO League tournament, which hosted 26 elementary school teams and inspired 260 students in grades 5-9 to learn LEGO programming, design their robot, and develop and execute game-day strategies.
Work/Life Skills and Job Readiness Training
YTA students receive soft skills/work readiness instruction and tutoring as part of their participation in the program. Resume preparation and job search strategies are emphasized, as well as work ethic. This training prepares students for further education and eventual employment in high-skills careers.
During the summer, YTA students participate in job-shadowing opportunities, internships, and other activities designed to introduce them to the work environment. Many YTA participants serve as ‘student leaders’ for YTA summer outreach activities, such as the summer LEGO camps and YTA’s participation in the Cleveland Ingenuity Fest and assume significant levels of responsibility for the success of these events.
YTA students leave the program as mature, capable young adults who are ready to take on the challenges of work and advanced education.
Community Service/Outreach
YTA frequently gives presentations at local university events, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Workforce Department programs, career days, and technology fairs. YTA students regularly participate in events such as Cleveland Metropolitan School District middle school career day events to promote their participation in technology, robotics, and FIRST events and activities.
In addition, YTA students and FIRST Robotics team members conduct summer LEGO Robotics camps at local libraries to introduce middle-school students to the robotics experience. The summer LEGO Robotics Camp experience culminates in an informal LEGO Robotics competition which takes place at the Cleveland Ingenuity Festival, an annual celebration of art and technology, held in downtown Cleveland.
Advanced Technology Academy (ATA) Out-of-School Program
Age: 18-21 years
Income: Must meet WIA Income Eligibility guidelines
Standing: High school diploma/GED
Enrollment: Must complete a WIA/ATA application packet and Tri-C non-credit course registration materials
Contact: Bob Stewart, Program Manager
(216) 987-3347
Robert.Stewart@tri-c.edu
Click here to download the ATA Out-of-School Program brochure.
Click here to download the ATA Out-of-School Program flyer.
Established in 2007, the Advanced Technology Program (ATA) is an intensive job and work skills readiness course for unemployed or underemployed out-of-school young adults, ages 18-21. ATA is funded by WIA through the City of Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board.
ATA trains program participants for entry-level technical employment in several high-demand career areas. The program provides tuition, books, and tools; it also subsidizes student transportation and soft skills/job readiness training.
The ATA Out-of-School Program consists of four components:
Technical Training
Technical training for ATA participants takes place at the Unified Technologies Center (UTC), on the Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus. Students enroll in coursework leading to a nationally recognized certificate in their field of study and to entry-level employment in highly-marketable disciplines, such as:
• Digital cabling;
• Facilities maintenance / construction;
• Welding;
• Manufacturing foundational skills (shop, safety, math, basic measurement, and hand and machine tools) and
• Advanced machining technology (precision machining, numerical controlled machining (CNC), electronic engineering, and applied industrial technology).
Industry Certification
Students can opt to pursue a Certificate of Proficiency (one-year) or Associates Degree (two years) in a technical discipline. Upon completing the 78-hour ATA program, students will receive an online OSHA safety certification.
Soft Skills/Job Readiness Training
ATA program staff work with each participant to identify his/her needs and goals and provide job readiness/soft-skills training, designed to enhance the individual’s interactions, job performance and career prospects. They also monitor student progress and provide follow-up services for the year following the student’s exit from the program to maximize students’ prospects of securing and retaining permanent employment.
On-the-Job Training
Students who complete the required technical and job readiness training serve a paid work experience ‘externship’ with an area employer in the chosen field of study. This employer will provide additional on-job training and an evaluation of the student. Several of these placements have led to offers of full-time employment.
The areas of technical training available through ATA at a given time vary according to forecasted demands, technology trends, and the needs of local and regional employers. ATA works closely with the workforce development professionals at Cuyahoga Community College and with area employers to deliver training that fills area industries’ requirements for a highly-qualified technology workforce.