Catapult
For Indiana high school students, Catapult is an immersive experience that helps students aspiring for a career in technology to develop technical and workplace skills, authentic peer relationships, a passion for community service and deep roots for a lifelong personal and professional connection to Indianapolis.
Navigate
Modeled after tech and educational conferences, Nextech Navigate is a virtual field trip designed to educate and inspire high school students about the power of CS and careers in technology. This annual event includes educational sessions across three main themes: development of specific technical skills; connecting the classroom to careers in tech; and exploration of post secondary paths.
CSforGood
Celebrating and recognizing the unbridled imagination of primary and secondary students across the state, the Nextech CSforGood competition challenges K-12 Hoosier students to innovate, create and build positive change in their schools and local communities.
Stats Showdown
The sports world is filled with a massive amount of data. And figuring out how to analyze it can be a (literal) game changer. Stats Showdown introduces Hoosier students to the exciting world of data science and data analytics through college basketball and the NCAA Tournament.
Nextech's student experiences are made possible by supporters across Indiana.
Possibilities for the Future
Work-based learning helps students connect classroom concepts to real-world applications. By engaging in authentic projects, using real tools, and meeting real expectations, students see how technology solves meaningful problems and why their learning matters.
These experiences also expand awareness of the wide range of tech-driven careers—from healthcare and manufacturing to marketing, cybersecurity, and social impact—helping students envision new possibilities for their future.
Collectively, these work-based learning programs build confidence and agency. When students apply their knowledge to real challenges, they develop problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills that are essential in any career.
They learn to adapt, ask questions, and persist through uncertainty—habits that prepare them not just for their first job, but for a rapidly changing future. Programs like these don’t just prepare students for careers in technology; they empower them to see themselves as capable contributors to the world around them.
