EAST GREENWICH, RI – Dozens of high school students from across Rhode Island gathered today at the New England Institute of Technology to kick off the second session of the college’s immersive Summer Tech Camp. The camp is giving students early, hands-on access to advanced courses in college-level facilities so they can start exploring new topics and potential career pathways.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed was on hand with NEIT faculty and staff to deliver a $100,000 federal earmark he secured in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations law for the summer programming. Senator Reed toured campus with the new students to learn more about the classrooms and the immersive and experimental programs being offered by NEIT. Reed stopped into several programs, including: digital animation, business, electronics, introduction to healthcare, and physical therapist assistant (PTA).

“New England Tech does a great job of preparing students for good jobs in in-demand fields. This summer camp is an extension of the work they do and is giving Rhode Island high school students an early look at some of the options they can explore after high school in state of the art, college-level facilities,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “I was proud to deliver this federal earmark to engage more students in building new skills, help local businesses find talented, prepared new employees, and help Rhode Islanders explore new opportunities, new topics, and potential future careers they are passionate about.”

“New England Tech extends its sincere gratitude to Senator Reed for his continued leadership and commitment to expanding access to quality education and career pathways for students across Rhode Island,” said Amy Grzybowski, Vice President of Community Relations at the New England Institute of Technology. “This summer, thanks to a $100,000 federal earmark secured by Senator Reed, we are able to provide hands-on, immersive learning experiences to over 150 students at no cost to participants. Opportunities like this help open doors for students to explore new pathways to future careers and develop real-world skills in a supportive setting.”

The $100,000 federal earmark secured by Senator Reed is helping to cover instructional materials, lunches, and program costs for all students. A total of approximately 150 Rhode Island high schoolers are attending NEIT’s camp sessions this summer.

From June to the beginning of August, New England Tech is operating four different day-camp programs for Rhode Island high school students, including the first session of the immersive camp which was held last month and welcomed over 60 students to campus for hands-on training in the fields of cybersecurity, robotics and drones, and digital photography.

Through immersive and experimental camp options, Summer Tech Camp allows students to dive deep into a specific topic for one week or to explore various topics over two weeks. All programs are led by New England Tech’s industry-leading faculty and include access to college-level labs and equipment.

In an effort to bring high-quality skills building opportunities to students in underserved communities, New England Tech’s summer programming is open to all eligible students and prioritizes registrations from Pawtucket, Providence, Central Falls, and Woonsocket schools.