By Kelly Faircloth 5/08 12:37pm

the robots are coming

(Photo: Flickr, JMR_Photography)

Teens Do Something Decent, Create Robotic Locker Opener for Disabled Classmate

We were all ready to write off the youth of the species thanks to #followateen, and now DVice brings us a story about techie high schoolers that doesn’t evolve hazing, cyber bullies or trashy prom dresses. Will wonders never cease?

According to DVice, muscular dystrophy has left Nick Torrance, a student at Pinckney Community High School, wheelchair-bound. Luckily, two of his classmates won the 2012 SkillsUSA national robotics competition, and their coach told them to help him get his locker open easier.

And so:  Read More

By Jessica Roy 4/02 2:39pm

This Happened

(Photo: KENS5)

Don’t Tweet Pictures of Standardized Tests, Even If Your Essay Answer is ‘YOLO :)’

Goofing off on standardized tests can be a high school rite of passage, but we don’t recommend publicizing photos of your test answers unless you want to end up in the principal’s office. Kyron Birdine, a junior at a high school in Arlington, Texas learned this the hard way when he tweeted a photo of his essay for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Read More

By Nitasha Tiku 6/26/12 10:23am

XX in Tech

(Photo: twitter/reshmasaujani)

Twitter Partners with Reshma Saujani’s NYC High School Program, Girls Who Code

On its blog today, Twitter announced a new partnership aimed at changing that ratio. The company will be investing “time, energy and money,” to partner with Girls Who Code, a intensive program designed to get New York City high schoolers comfortable with software development.

Girls Who Code was launched by Reshma Saujani, a former deputy public advocate under Bill de Blasio. Ms. Saujani, who is running for Public Advocate in 2013, has strong ties to the tech community both here and in the Valley. Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey and Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes both came out to support her (ultimately unsuccessful) bid for a Congressional seat from New York in 2010. She also recently married LocalResponse founder Nihal Mehta. (Mazel!) Read More