Baltimore residents with children likely know about the city’s YouthWorks program and its association with summer employment opportunities for young people. The program’s primary focus is to equip participants (some as young as 14) with essential workforce readiness skills, as well as specialized competencies tailored to various careers — including tech.
Technical.ly spoke with one such participant, 17-year-old Michael. His YouthWorks assignment was at Archangel, a provider of technology and services to schools nationwide. Established in 2018 in Arlington, Virginia and currently possessing a Baltimore office on East Biddle Street, Archangel initially began with a modest order of 30 Chromebooks. Since then, its scope has expanded dramatically, with hundreds of thousands of Chromebooks and tablets provided to both public and private schools.
Michael collaborated with an Archangel team focused on elevating classroom technology. During his tenure, Michael engaged closely with Gabriel, a 20-year-old Archangel employee, whose fervor for computer science was also profoundly nurtured by a high school teacher. This influence motivated Gabriel to share his inspiration by teaming up with Michael over the summer.
For Michael, the allure of computer science lies in its perpetual evolution and advancement, driven by the binary foundation of ones and zeros. His fascination with computers dates back to his youth, and he wishes to explore computer science even further going forward.
“The constantly evolving nature of computer science and its technological underpinnings captivate me,” he said. “Since my early years, I’ve held an interest in computers, which fuels my eagerness to delve into this field.”
