November 21, 2019 | Everett Middle School at Atlassian | by Demetric Strong, IGNITE Advisor
On Thursday, November 21st, 21 Everett middle school students visited Atlassian at their downtown offices!
The Atlassian team warmly welcomed our students into their space and provided snacks as well as the objective of the day which kept students focused and provided quick transitions during our stay at Atlassian. At the beginning of the session, students were reminded of the importance of women joining the technology field and all volunteers on the panel shared their journey and personal why statements for joining a company in STEM. Members of the team answered all questions and gave valuable feedback to our students.
Students were given a tour of the facilities and then we transitioned to lunch. During lunch, several employees came to the conference room and mingled with students asking them about their interest in tech and making connections through hobbies and joint interests. The girls were fascinated by the video conference workshop from an Atlassian who was dialing in from New York. It gave them a real flavor of our day to day.
During the workshop, Atlassian employees helped students understand what it's like to work at a company like Atlassian and more about Computer Science. During the activity, the students created a party planning list that was Harry Potter themed. The students were all very interested and this was evident through the laughter and constant feedback they gave to the presenter.
After the workshop, the volunteers debriefed with our students and then we were given swag bags and took group photos throughout the workplace before exiting the company.
This trip was one of the most well organized IGNITE companies I have taken the students to. The speakers provided snacks immediately to students which helped reduce behavior issues that may have occurred because of hunger. The staff provided plenty of breaks and thoughtfully provided a translator for students who only speak Spanish thus creating inclusion and buy-in from several students on the trip and at my school site. Word got around that there was a translator on the trip and as a result students who only speak Spanish want to be a part of IGNITE trips even more because they know their voices will be heard on future trips.
Thank you so much for the experience. My students are appreciative and are looking forward to more trips and workshops in the future because of you.
Special thanks to Sajida Kaliyadan and Pauline Cheng for making this inspirational day possible for the girls!