Twenty Durham Public School (DPS) students from Carrington Middle School were invited to Google Durham's "Building with Google" event to build their own computers using Raspberry Pi devices, and dive into the exciting world of hardware and software engineering. Learn more here:

The Building With Google initiative is part of the Students@Work℠ program, a North Carolina collaboration between the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). Students@Work℠ aims to bridge classroom learning with real-world career opportunities across the state. Members from Durham’s Black Googlers Network, an employee relations group and Google's Lenoir data center were on hand to support this interactive learning experience. Throughout the event, Googlers mentored students, offering firsthand insights into the exciting world of tech careers. 

Google was honored to have the opportunity to give back to its surrounding community. "Google is committed to inspiring the next generation of tech innovators. We're excited to partner with Durham Public Schools to make this event possible," shared Lilyn Hester, Head of Southeast External Affairs and Government Relations for Google.

Interim Superintendent Catty Moore acknowledged the forward-facing event as an opportunity for DPS students.

"Durham Public Schools greatly appreciates Google’s interest in exposing our students to the world of technology and the many opportunities it offers during their academic tenure as well as their post-graduation careers," she said.

The city of Durham welcomes the partnership, as evidenced by a statement from Mayor Leonardo Williams: "Durham is a city fostering the next generation of innovators.  I applaud Google and Durham Public Schools for their collaboration.  Initiatives like 'Building with Google' unlock the potential within our students and create pathways to exciting careers in the technology sector." 

NCBCE is proud to support the impactful programming, as noted by Executive Director, Caroline Sullivan: “There are so many great career paths that await North Carolina students. Students@Work helps open students’ eyes to numerous possibilities and gives them a head start in planning for their future.”

More information about Students@Work℠ Month can be found at www.ncbce.org. Governor Cooper’s proclamation of March as Students@Work month can be found here.