Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc. -

Boys & Girls Club Member to Compete for National Prize in Photo Tech Category

Holyoke, MA 1/23/2012 – Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) named Naijah Walter the regional winner in its 10th Annual Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals competition for her entry in the Photo Tech category. As a regional winner, Walter, 9 will move on to represent the Northeast region at the national level of competition for the 6-9 age group.

For the Photo Tech category, Boys & Girls Club members were asked to create a poster that showcased citizens engaged in activities that give back to their community or depicts someone who models good character. Walter poster creation, entitled Tech Club, showcased her creativity and tech skills learned at Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc. The entry will be judged by a panel of national experts.

“Through the Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals we’re able to inspire our future designers, game developers, filmmakers and musicians,” said Dan Rauzi, senior director of technology programs, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “It is amazing what our kids and teens can do when given access to technology and allowed to express themselves creatively.”

Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals allow BGCA, along with sponsors Microsoft and Comcast, to give young people an avenue to get creative and design original pieces of digital artwork—from posters and PSAs to stop-motion animation and logos. The competition is one component of the Club Tech program which teaches critical technology skills. Members from across the globe, age 6-18 can take the tech skills they’ve learned through their Boys & Girls Clubs and enter various categories. In 2010, more than 20,000 young people participated in local contests.

“With Club Tech, members are introduced to the world of clay animation, robotics, game design, digital movie making, photo illustration, graphic design and music production,” added Rauzi. “We’re giving them real-world skills that will not only help them excel in school, but create a future career.” The Festivals are just one way that Boys & Girls Clubs of America, founding sponsor Microsoft and Comcast hope to technologically enable some 4 million youth served by some 4,000 Clubs nationwide and abroad through Club membership and community outreach. Club Tech also provides software, develops and delivers curricula, and provides program management and computer training for staff and youth. The sponsorship allows Clubs to integrate technology into every aspect of the organization’s fabric, from overall management to core programs. To learn more about the technology programs offered at Boys & Girls Clubs, visit www.bgca.org/clubtech. About Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc.

About Club Tech

Club Tech was created by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org/clubtech) and Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) in 2000 to technologically enable Clubs worldwide, transforming Clubs from "swim and gym" to "point and click" destinations. Partnering with longtime supporter Comcast (www.comcast.com) and Microsoft, BGCA provides technology program access to some 4 million youth served through Club membership and community outreach at nearly 4,000 Clubs. By leveling the virtual playing field, kids of all ages and circumstances now have access to the same resources and skills to help them discover their world, expand creativity, perform better in school, and eventually take their technology know-how into the workplace.

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Amy Lamparter, 404-487-5856, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )