Region 2000 Technology Council Newsletter

JULY 2013

ISSUE

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|| Table of Contents ||

Summer BBQ (Aug 8)

XLR8 Grand Opening (Aug 12)

LaWIT Luncheon (Sept 18)

Wells Fargo Foundation Donates

FIRST LEGO Season Starting

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Greetings!

Greetings! Summer is in full swing and I want to personally invite you out to two events that are coming up next month. First, we will hold our 3rd annual BBQ and open house at the CAER in Forest. This is a great opportunity to network after hours and catch up with your colleagues across the region. We always have a great turn out and great fun so come join us. Second, after two years of long hard work we will cut the ribbon at CVCC for our regional STEM Academy on August 12. Governor McDonnell and other dignitaries will be in attendance and I hope that you can join us. We have been very busy bringing about this school which is the only one of it's kind in Virginia. I am making personal visits with companies all summer to explain the Academy in detail and would love to visit with you. Please contact me and I would be happy to share the details with you. I hope you get a rain free vacation week this summer! See you soon,

Jonathan Whitt, Executive Director

3rd Annual Summer Barbecue (August 8th)

It's summer time and The Region 2000 Technology Council is calling the local technology community together, August 8th, for the 3rd Annual Summer Barbecue. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy an evening of casual networking and great barbecue at a cutting-edge facility - the Center for Advanced Engineering & Research (CAER) in Forest, Virginia.

The evening will also feature an open house with the companies that are at the CAER. This is a unique chance to interact with these innovative organizations all at one time.

A cash bar will be available. Catering by Dickey's Barbecue Pit.
Event sponsored by Lumos Networks with additional support by
the Young Professionals of Central Virginia, the CAER, and the Future Focus Foundation.

GET DETAILS AND REGISTER >>>

XLR8 STEM Academy Grand Opening (August 12)

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting for the new XLR8: Lynchburg Regional Governor's STEM Academy will be held on Monday, August 12 from 10 - 11:30 a.m. on the campus of Central Virginia Community College (at 3509 Wards Road in Lynchburg), in front of the AREVA Technical Center. In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors to Merritt Hall.

The public is invited, and attendees will also include regional leaders, with Governor McDonnell to speak. XLR8 STEM Academy is the 16th regional Governor's STEM Academy in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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LaWIT: Lynchburg Area Women In Technology (September 18)

Join us for the inaugural Lynchburg Area Women In Technology (LaWIT) networking event and luncheon, with featured speaker. Designed to encourage new connections and mutual support among the Lynchburg region's women who are involved in technology-related fields of work or education, this event is the first of it's kind in the local area.

We look forward to this forum providing valuable insights and new connections that are unique to women engaged in the local technology sector.

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Wells Fargo Foundation Contributes $10,000 to Regional STEM Initiatives

Wells Fargo Foundation supports STEM education

The Future Focus Foundation, the education foundation of Virginia's Region 2000 Technology Council, has received a grant in the amount of $10,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation to support Lynchburg Regional FIRST LEGO League and to purchase equipment for the new XLR8-Lynchburg Regional Governor's STEM Academy.

FIRST programs have been a successful part of our region's S.T.E.M (science, technology, engineering, and math) program for over five years annually reaching over 200 participants. FIRST LEGO League is "an exciting and fun global robotics program that ignites and enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in kids ages 9-14 (grades 4-8)." The Future Focus Foundation has taken the lead role in organizing the tournament with the continued support of Central Virginia Community College. The tournament is scheduled for November 9, 2013 at Timberlake Christian School.

The XLR8-Lynchburg Regional STEM Academy is scheduled to launch in August in 2013, with the first class of students taking dual enrolled courses in the "Pathway to Engineering." Support from the Wells Fargo Foundation will allow the purchase of necessary robotic equipment for academy coursework.

The XLR8-STEM Academy is an initiative to offer local students the opportunity to graduate with multiple options for success in STEM industry fields or pursing post-secondary education. XLR8 dovetails with current regional K-12 STEM activities and workforce development initiatives. The goal of this institution will be to help close the gap between education and industry, furthering the economic vitality of this region.

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2013 FIRST LEGO League Season Begins in August!

The date for the 2013 Lynchburg Regional FIRST LEGO League Tournament will be November 9, 2013 at Timberlake Christian School. Registration for FIRST LEGO League opened in May and the "Nature's Fury" Challenge release is scheduled for August 27, 2013. Now is not too early to begin forming your teams to get ready for the 2013 FIRST LEGO League Season.

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Get even more local technology

news at:

TechCouncil.us/blog

FutureFocusFoundation.us/blog/

The mission of the Region 2000 Technology Council is to foster an environment that stimulates innovation and growth of technology-focused organizations in Virginia's Region 2000.