Photo courtesy of the Sarah Heinz House

Local students present at the launch of the new My.future technology program at the Sarah Heinz House Thursday, Nov. 13.

By Ed Skirtich

The Sarah Heinz House received a $20,000 grant from NBC Universal Comcast for a new technology program, which was launched Thursday, Nov. 13 at the Heinz house in East Deutschtown.

The My.future initiative is aimed to teach youth at the Sarah Heinz House about the digital world and technology.

“This program will help them move forward,” said Comcast’s Bob Grove. “They’re empowered and encouraged.”

As executive director of Sarah Heinz House Jennifer Cairns delightfully commented on NBC Universal Comcast’s donation and the unique new opportunity the program presents.

“People outside value what we’re doing,” Cairns said.

The new program will serve students from surrounding high schools, including  Shaler, North Hills and Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Grove said this program will help prepare students for careers in Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. He also added that four million youth across the country will receive help with computer literacy as part of the nationwide program.

“It will open their eyes to things they may not have thought of,” Cairns said.

Getting acquainted with digital literacy on the computer impressed Dan Turkovich, who is the Education and Leadership Development Director at Sarah Heinz House.

He said youth enrolled in the program can practice photography, edit videos and write blogs, and many in the program plan to attend Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Slippery Rock University and Notre Dame, amongst several other colleges and universities across the U.S..

Besides STEM, Turkovich mentioned students at Sara Heinz House can pursue various career paths, including journalism and music editing.

Photo courtesy of the Sarah Heinz House

From left to right: Sarah Heinz House director of development and marketing Janice Wasson, State Rep.  Adam Ravenstahl, Bob Grove of Comcast, Sarah Heinz House executive director Jennifer Cairns and  Bob Bechtold of the Sarah Heinz House advisory board.