The Hispanic Foundation has worked for a decade with K-12 schools to bring STEM education to the Latino community in Silicon Valley. As technology rapidly evolves, students need to hone the fundamentals of STEM disciplines to keep up with these changes. This is why HFSV has been launching Technovation clubs all over our region, an AI-focused program that teaches students to solve problems in their communities using technology. 

This academic year, HFSV hosted two Technovation programs in San Jose—one at Herbert Hoover Middle School in partnership with Breakthrough Silicon Valley and another at KIPP Heritage Academy—serving a total of 21 students who completed the 12-week program. The clubs are run by a lead facilitator who teaches participants how to identify community challenges while fostering innovation and confidence. With the support of both the facilitator and additional mentors, students learn to code and develop an app that solves a problem they care about in their community. 

At Herbert Hoover Middle School, students spent 12 weeks learning how to code on MIT App Inventor. Their facilitator, Michelle Pichardo, worked closely with them to flesh out their ideas and bring the apps to life, alongside mentors who provided both technical guidance and encouragement. One of those mentors, HFSV Latinos in Technology (LITSI) Scholar Fernando Sanchez Lopez, dedicated his time to supporting both our clubs—serving not only as a resource, but as a relatable role model in STEM for the students. 

Across both sites, students developed apps that addressed real-world needs in their communities, with a strong focus on mental wellness, creativity, and informed decision-making. Projects included:

• A journaling app with guided prompts to help users process grief
• A digital coloring app featuring students’ original designs to promote stress relief 
• A memory game app 
• A multi-game platform including tic-tac-toe and hangman 
• An app that scans the ingredients of beauty and skincare products to determine whether they are safe to use 

These projects reflect not only technical skill-building but also the students’ awareness of issues impacting their communities. And their sentiments on the experience were clear and unanimous: 100% of participants said they enjoyed computer coding and would recommend Technovation to other students. 

Success stories like these are the cornerstone of our Seed (K-12) phase strategy, which invests in intentional programming in the K-12 system to spark young Latinos’ interest in pursuing STEM careers and college STEM degrees. By providing high-quality, scalable support networks and engagement, we empower young students to pursue a STEM education. ‘Planting the seed’ early is how we cultivate the next generation of Latino leaders who will shape the future of Silicon Valley. Partner with us to expand STEM access and help the next generation of Latino innovators lead the future. For more information or to get involved, contact Mirella Maldonado at mirella@hfsv.org.