Pi515 students have been invited to participate in the 2022 Kids Tech Summit, an event hosted by Connected Nation, a nonprofit working to expand broadband internet access. The high school students will base their project for the summit on topics like digital literacy training, computer repair or internet access. “Pi515 is excited for this opportunity to […]
Wednesday morning felt like a celebration of sorts as visitors swept into Gravitate Coworking’s downtown location. 1 Million Cups welcomed back visitors to the first in-person event since March 2020, when organizers shut the doors at the Science Center of Iowa’s theater for the last time. Pi515 founder and director Nancy Mwirotsi brought two summer […]
Jade Nettrour is a senior in high school and has already designed an early prototype of new Christmas tree lights to make the annual decorating process easier — and more cat-friendly — for her family and their five felines. Nettrour’s demonstration earned her second place in a student “Shark Tank” pitch competition in 2020, and […]
Iowa founder Nancy Mwirotsi and philanthropist John Pappajohn. Pappajohn committed $100,000 and support from staff at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center network to help Mwirotsi expand the 6-year-old tech education nonprofit Pi515 in Iowa. Contributed photo Early this fall, Des Moines founder Nancy Mwirotsi was surprised to take a call from noted philanthropist and Iowa […]
Des Moines nonprofit founder Nancy Mwirotsi received a $10,000 Nation of Neighbors grant from Royal Neighbors of America for a new initiative dedicated to building entrepreneurship skills among young women, the Royal Neighbors of America announced. Mwirotsi, founder of tech education Pi515, is developing the Girls Entrepreneurial Summit Program, which focuses on educating young women […]
Last week, Nancy Mwirotsi had 30 laptops to give away immediately — and every one was claimed by Friday. Mwirotsi, founder and director of the tech education nonprofit Pursuit of Innovation (Pi515), began working in overdrive to ensure her middle school and high school students would have access to STEM education resources after the Des […]
Des Moines nonprofit Pursuit of Innovation (Pi515) is launching the second year of its Peer Mentoring Program directed at middle school students with funding support by Coca-Cola, AT&T and Bank of the West, Pi515 announced this week. With support from adult volunteers in STEM-related careers, advanced students in Des Moines high schools’ STEM programs are […]
The Des Moines coding education nonprofit Pi515 received more than $62,000 in corporate grants and donations in the last year, the group announced this week. Pi515 received $22,000 from AT&T toward operations, a $30,000 grant from Coca-Cola and $10,000 in student scholarships from Dwolla’s 2019 Monetery Tech Summit. Through the Coca-Cola grant, Pi515 hired 14 […]
Two Iowa nonprofits accepted $10,000 each raised and donated by the 2019 Monetery Tech Summit, the second annual technology and entrepreneurship conference organized by Dwolla. Iowa Safe Schools and Pursuit of Innovation (Pi515) each received the donation at the end of Tuesday’s summit in the Temple of Performing Arts. Dwolla also announced the Transition Forward […]
Pursuit of Innovation 515’s annual Jumbo Jenga Tournament returns next month with the goal of raising funds for Pi515’s technical equipment, food and transportation provided to underserved and refugee youth in the STEM education program. The Jumbo Jenga Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 2 at the Windsor Heights Community Center, from 6-8 p.m. Doors open at […]