Lainie DeCoursy “There was a draw to working with this group of people with shared interests and goals. Something was magnetic about that, and the shared Hive identity.”
Yvonne Martínez Brathwaite “We were able to create a space where people could safely share their struggles, while also giving them concrete strategies and space to think about how to make these collaborations work.”
Rafi Santo “It's not just that Hive organizations are using digital media to teach our young people, but that the ways they innovate now are tied to digital and open source culture.”
Rita Geladze “Watching my campers be successful and knowing that I had something to do with shaping their confidence — writing their recommendation letters, providing them with leadership opportunities — is a guilty pleasure of mine. I really enjoy seeing my success through others.”
Dixie Ching “Being with the members propelled me forward, buoyed me, and gave me a lot of encouragement.”
Lori Rose Benson “Every time I would go to another Hive NYC meetup, whether it was in person or virtually, I'd be connected to another colleague that would give me some advice on the way that we were going. This advice was priceless.”
Charles Canario “The hardest challenge is making things accessible. It’s super easy to get caught up in technical terms and vast concepts. I want to make sure all people can understand what we’re saying.”
Barry Joseph “We've transformed and enhanced our youth’s identity as contributors to society and helped them connect their passions with learning — giving them increased foundations to more effectively plan a rewarding future for themselves.”
Gina Tesoriero “It's challenging to find a balance — to structure and support the kids that need it, but also give them the freedom to fail and bring their own interests into things.”
Niberca (Gigi) Polo “In my work in academia, our meetings with Hive networks has helped me expand my research on e-learning, emerging virtual spaces, and digital equity and inclusive practices.”
Hillary Kolos “There's a huge disparity in the access teachers have to professional development around computers, the internet, and broadband.”
Ariam Mogos “We’re all well-connected — but our programs aren’t … We’re all facing the same challenge: what’s next for our youth beyond our organizations? How do we guide our participants to the next best learning experience?"
Caitlin Stanton “We were 17… It was challenging to assert ourselves as two capable females in tech who wanted to organize a hackathon. When we reached out to potential sponsors they assumed we didn’t know what we were doing.”
Emily Long “Working with others is what really helps us grow as an organization. It gives us more projects and more room to experiment.”
Marc Lesser “Success is hearing young people say things like, ‘I always wanted to lead but now I know I can, and I better understand what my capabilities are.’ … the experience has impacted not only what a person can do, but also their perspective about what their potential is.”
Anthony Negron “You have an experience with an organization where you gel so perfectly that you start thinking about other ways to collaborate.”