Center will provide instruction and space to educate Latino Community
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving Hispanic America, today announced the grand opening of the new Univision Technology Center (UTEC) in San Jose, California. A Silicon Valley-based state-of-the-art facility, UTEC’s purpose is to provide a practical instruction and gathering space to educate members of the Latino community about different aspects of technology and how to successfully pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM). The new facility, which is housed within Univision Bay Area, was unveiled during a community event with local leaders and partners on Friday, May 5.
In collaboration with private sector and nonprofit partners, UTEC will offer a series of classes, workshops, and events that will focus on education, professional and career development and resources. Examples of programs include, coding parties, hackathons, afterschool and summer camps as well as networking events and panels. UCI is continuing its media diversity initiatives begun in 2016 with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Televisa Foundation and the League of United Latin American Citizens and is proud of its new partnership with The Level Playing Institute with more collaborations to be announced later this year.
UTEC is a cornerstone of the company’s community empowerment effort, Univision Contigo, which focuses on building strong minds by both leading the way for diversity in the media and technology sectors and promoting STEAM education and opportunities.
“Latinos are underrepresented in the U.S. technology sector workforce and Univision understands the serious repercussions this has, not only for our communities, but also for the nation’s economy,” said Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, executive vice president of Government and Corporate Affairs for UCI. “Educating children and parents about the possibility of STEAM majors and careers early-on is key to opening the door to a whole new realm of opportunities and future endeavors. UTEC will give us and our partners a place to engage our community and begin to address some of these challenges.”
“Our vision is that UTEC will be a space where young Latino minds will be opened to new ideas, skills and experiences,” said Raúl Rodríguez, VP, General Manager of Univision Bay Area. “Working alongside new and existing local partners here in Silicon Valley and across the U.S., we aim to increase the pipeline of Latinos in media and technology and look forward to working together to build pathways of success to ensure that the future of these sectors reflect the diversity of our country.”
Univision Contigo is UCI’s award-winning corporate social responsibility and community empower platform launched in 2013 that leverages the media company’s multiplatform assets across television, radio, digital, and hundreds of community events each year to keep audiences informed and engaged on the issues most pressing to their families and communities. In addition to education-focused initiatives, Contigo also promotes healthy habits by providing community programs and thought-provoking content to audiences about diabetes, nutrition, fitness, and the outdoors. Additionally, Contigo embarked on a year-long campaign to celebrate diversity by highlighting positive role models and images within the diverse communities that makeup the United States.
Source: Multichannel News
