Student Tech Teams Expand Districts’ IT Capacity

FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT

In recent years, many new devices have gone into the hands of students in K-12 education. Un­for­tunately, funding for IT support wasn’t as readily available.

In North Carolina, some enterprising school districts have formed and managed student technology teams to fill the need for support. The program is an initiative of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, a nonprofit, business-led education organization operating out of the governor’s office and coordinated with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

What started with eight tech teams grew into what’s called the North Carolina Student Connect Tech Teams, with more than 30 teams operating across the state. Curriculum development and coaching has been provided by consultants at Advanced Learning Partnerships.

One of the student tech teams, the STAR Team from Granville County, N.C., quickly saw its expertise and value recognized by the district’s IT department, which has grown the size of the team and diversified its work over the past few years.