TCS Celebrates the Launch of goIT's Latest Tech Learning Pathway

At Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), we are building on the belief that business can be a catalyst for change. Our purpose is to connect people to opportunities in the digital economy and that mission is central to the way we operate as a business. Through innovation, partnership, and collective knowledge, TCS believes we can lead positive change for all stakeholders. Foundational STEM education is more important now than it ever has been if we are to ensure that students are ready for the future of work. Through specialized design-thinking curriculum created by TCS, we are challenging students to design technological innovations that will address the greatest challenges facing our community to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

TCS’ flagship digital innovation and career readiness program, goIT (go Innovate Together), prepares students with the skills, confidence and mindsets to pursue careers of the future. Through engaging design workshops and custom mentorship experiences, goIT impacts students around the globe by challenging stereotypes and inspiring our future leaders to pursue careers in STEM and the computer sciences.

To celebrate the launch of goIT’s latest tech learning pathway – the Internet of Things (IoT) – goIT went back to its roots where the very first goIT program was hosted in 2009 -- Cincinnati, OH. Over the course of two days in July 2022, TCS invited students from around the Cincinnati region to join TCS engineers and industry experts to learn all about IoT technologies. This new pathway was designed and taught by TCS engineers from Cincinnati’s very own IoT Lab, ensuring students learned about the latest tools and technologies, uses and applications, and security best practices. When not curating goIT resources for its signature program, the TCS IoT lab helps other businesses learn how to bring life to their machines and offices. Companies that want to create smart machines, products, and offices can experiment, prototype, and implement innovative ideas at the lab. A few things the engineers at the lab have worked on include:

• Smart cameras to detect proper safety equipment
• Smart factories and automated machines
• Smart garden through automatic measuring and watering

"This is the second time that our daughter has attended TCS Summer goIT student Technology Program. We came back again, since the program is perfect for middle and high school students,” said a parent of one the students. “It teaches them innovation, collaboration with their peers, and to be independent and complete a project by a deadline. We highly recommend it to other parents."

Armed with the freshly developed resources, 38 students representing seven school districts were ready to learn the basics of IoT and design their own smart gadgets to help their communities!

Day 1 of the program exposed students to the concept of how the Internet of Things (IoT) makes it possible for all things (devices, appliances, machines, etc.) to collect data and communicate with one another. It also allowed them to point out where IoT already exists in their communities.

On day 2, ideas began to take shape as student teams got specific about what their gadget will do, what sensors it will use, and how it will be built. Students created concept posters and physical gadget prototypes to demonstrate how their gadget will look, its key features, and how the gadget will interact in the real-world.

Day 2 ended with a culmination event where students pitched their digital innovations to their peers and a panel of judges. Judges included: Dr. Srinivasan Jayaraman, a Principal Scientist at TCS; Brian Purvis, Project Manager at TCS; Kosta Elefter, Head of Operations at TCS in Ohio and Hrishikesh D. Sherlekar, AWS Business Unit, NA at TCS.

“goIT was an amazing experience. Not only did it give me more exposure to the technology field, but also allowed me and my fellow participants to have the unique experience of going through the process of creating a product, from the design stages to the construction, to the presentation of the product,” said one of the student participants. “Not many programs for my age really allow us to go through that engineering process as they only focus on the technology itself. goIT goes beyond that, as mentioned, and gives the participants something in which they can connect with towards the real world.”

Throughout student’s goIT program, TCS included as many industry experts who also served as mentors for the teams, providing them with industry context and greater insights into real-world scenarios.

In a special message, Ohio Congressman Brad Wenstrup congratulated students on their resiliency and completion of the goIT Career Readiness and Digital Innovation Program.

Congratulations to all the winning teams!

Upperclassman Winning Team: Overzealous Bandit Catcher

By Mohnish, Stephen, Meklit and Siddharth from Mason High School, Sycamore High School and Turpin High School

Comedically dubbed the 'overzealous bandit catcher,' this gadget represented a clever and cost-effective anti-intruder system, mostly targeted to dissuade burglars. The team’s prototype, powered by an Arduino Uno microcontroller, included flashing lights and sirens to scare off intruders while also notifying local authorities about the situation.

Underclassman Winning Team: Desi Pani Roomvah

By Baishali, Khushi, Esha, and Anushka from Mason High School, Batavia High School and Mason Middle School

Roomvah was designed to help remove some of the 50-75 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics in the ocean. Similar to an underwater vacuum, Roomvah specializes in gathering up plastic from the ocean using a capacitive sensor that detects plastic. It also has a propeller to help it move underwater.

Jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are predicted to grow in the next decade at a much higher rate than non-STEM occupations. Students are the next generation of leaders and changemakers and TCS believes inspiring students to pursue careers in tech now will create the change needed for the world ahead of us.