Questions people ask us

Not on their own, and that is the point of Bot Catchers. Every question a kid asks Nova goes through four checks: a privacy check on the kid's own device, a question screen, an answer written with kid rules, and an answer screen before the kid sees anything. A grown-up is nearby for every session. There is a daily cap, no browsing, no uploads, and no chatting with other people. Nothing private is sent or saved, and parents see everything.

Claude, made by Anthropic. The kid never has an account. The NextGen Sandbox runs on a home or lab computer and only sends the question and which week the kid is on. See the Bot Catchers page for the full list of safety checks.

It's a short, friendly name kids can say. The name isn't the lesson. Nova is built to be checked: it sounds sure, and it's still wrong sometimes. Catching that is the whole program.

Yes. Ask Nova is the same helper, set up for adults to test. Nothing you type there is saved. Keep private details out of it.

Nothing has launched yet. When it does, Bot Catchers is for kids ages 9 to 11 in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, TechStart Academy is for ages 8 to 11, and Code & Career, CyberShield, and IT Launchpad are for ages 16 to 24. Our programs are built for at-risk youth, and adults who want a little guidance getting into IT are welcome to reach out too. No experience needed for most programs. Join the interest list at apply.html and we'll email you when applications open.

Yes. No tuition, no fees, no cost to you. For the certification programs we also pay for the exam voucher.

It depends on the program. Bot Catchers is 8 sessions of about an hour. TechStart Academy is 6 Saturdays. The programs for ages 16 to 24 run 12 to 16 weeks. We will confirm schedules before launch.

No for Bot Catchers, TechStart Academy, and IT Launchpad. For Code & Career and CyberShield, basic computer skills help but are not required. We'll talk with you about where you're starting from during the application.

The programs are for ages 8 to 24. If you are older and interested, email tthomas@nextgentyf.org. We will let you know if there is room, or point you to other organizations that can help.

Yes. NextGen Tech Youth Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. You will get a receipt.

Right now, donations pay for the first Bot Catchers cohort: refurbished laptops that stay with the program, printed Fact Books and mission sheets, snacks, certificates and Demo Day, instructor stipends, and space and insurance. We're finalizing the first-cohort budget and will publish it on the For funders page.

We're still finalizing it. The first-cohort budget will be published on the For funders page once the numbers are set, along with what we measure and our documents. After the cohort runs, we publish the real costs.

Yes. Add a note when you donate saying who it is for. If you give us the family's contact information, we will send them a letter. Email tthomas@nextgentyf.org if you want to set that up.

Yes. Ask your HR department if your company matches donations. Once you submit the request, we will fill out whatever paperwork they need.

Go to the Get Involved page, fill out the volunteer form, and pick "Tech Mentoring." We will get back to you within a week. We'll ask mentors for about 2 to 4 hours a month, one-on-one or with a small group of students.

Anyone who works in tech: software development, IT, cybersecurity, data, design, product. People who can help with career coaching, public speaking, or resumes are useful too.

We ask mentors and guest speakers for at least 3 months so students get to know them. Event volunteers can come once. We will work around your schedule.

Philadelphia, PA. We do not have a set classroom yet. We are working out arrangements with community spaces around the city, and we will tell participants where before the program starts.

Email tthomas@nextgentyf.org or call (215) 783-3739, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern. The Contact page has a form too.

Not right now. It is just the founder at this point. When we start hiring instructors and program staff, we will post it on the Contact page. If you want us to keep your resume, email tthomas@nextgentyf.org with the subject line "Employment Inquiry." Internship and AmeriCorps inquiries are welcome too.