❋
TechX Explore
ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS SPONSORED
5+
40+
DASH ROBOTS PROGRAMMED
2,000+
BRUSH BOTS BUILT
1,000,000+
8000+
SMILES ON FACES
LESSONS PRESENTED TO CLASSROOMS
EVENTS FOR CHILDREN
9+
YEARS OF IMPACT
20+
TEACHERS HELPED
16+
SCHOOLS SERVED
40+
PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION
95%
PARTNER SATISFACTION
100%
STUDENTS INSPIRED
10,000+
TechX Explore is youth-first exposure to technology, including CodeCrush, summer camps and other youth initiatives, designed to inspire students to see themselves in technology-related careers. We provide a wide array of experiences including coding, engineering, technology as tools, 3D modeling, photography and film, and hardware. These skills lay the foundations for logical thinking and three-dimensional visualization that are key in future technology careers.
Our primary audience is students who might not have the opportunity for foundational experiences in technology. In education there is the "reading gap" between students from high and low-income families due to a gap in exposure at the youngest ages. The same is true in technology; students in underserved groups can experience a "tech skills gap" because the only computer in their homes is often a smart phone. Students who participate in TechX Explore programming are exposed to foundational technology skills from as early as Kindergarten.
We’ve got a thing for information technology
1334+
19+
APPLICATIONS
COHORTS
575
250
76%
3+
ENROLL IN COLLEGE
CITIES
ROAD CRUSH STUDENTS
STUDENTS
CodeCrush is an iSTEM immersion experience for 8th and 9th-grade female students and their teachers, designed to pull back the curtain on the world of Information Technology and show what's possible, one cohort at a time.
Two days of hands-on workshops, real industry exposure, and community, built for young women and the teachers who champion them. Students don't just learn about tech. They do it: building apps, exploring cybersecurity, experimenting with AI, and meeting professionals.
Topics covered
Cybersecurity
Robotics
AI & Machine Learning
Bioinformatics
Python Coding
Computer Vision
Mobile App Development
IT Innovation and more
UI/UX Design
-
8th and 9th-grade female students from Nebraska
Their mentoring teachers
No prior tech experience required. Just curiosity.
-
Format: In-person, multi-day immersion
Sessions: Two immersion cohorts per year and a culminating summer summit
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Students and teachers spend two days immersed in the TechX ecosystem, attending workshops led by university instructors and industry professionals, visiting IT departments at real companies, and connecting with CodeCrush alumni now thriving in STEM careers.
-
Free for students.
Teacher-mentors receive a stipend for attending.
CodeCrush is made possible by grants from private foundations and corporate sponsors, including the Peter Kiewit Foundation.
10 Years
of Impact
Since launching in 2014, CodeCrush has:
Received 1,334+ applications from students across Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and beyond
Welcomed 575 students into immersion experiences
Hosted 19 cohorts, averaging 29 students and 15 teacher-mentors per session
Reached an additional 250 students through RoadCrush, a mobile outreach extension
Seen 76% of eligible alumni enroll in a four-year college
CodeCrush alumni are now engineers, researchers, and innovators across the country:
Grace Erixon (2014)
BS in Computer Science, UNL; Software Engineer at Omaha startup Superb Shifts
Ottilie Cooper-Ohm (2014)
BS in CS, UNO; Fulbright Grant recipient; Schwarzman Scholar
Tera Maher (2015)
BS/MS in IT Innovation, UNO; PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
Grace Maline (2014)
Medical student, NYU
"After CodeCrush, I realized my interests in biology translated into bioinformatics - a field I'd never heard of before. That experience shaped my entire journey."
Women make up nearly 58% of college students in the US - but only 26.7% of the IT workforce.
Only 1 in 5 female students choose computing majors. CodeCrush exists to change that.
FAQs
-
Applicants are expected to be able to provide their own transportation to the immersion experiences and summit. Please note CodeCrush will not be able to arrange or logistically plan your travel.
-
For the Immersion Experience, both students and teachers will be staying at the Residence Inn Aksarben Village adjacent to UNO's Pacific Street Campus. Local teachers have the option of opting out of the hotel stay; however, all other participants will be expected to stay at the hotel with the group. Please discuss with the CodeCrush Coordinator if you have an exception that needs to be made.
-
Student arrangements will be 2 to 4 participants to a room. If a student is uncomfortable sharing a queen-sized bed with someone, trundle beds are available on a limited basis. Teachers may have one same-sex roommate in a room with two queen beds. For those students whose teachers are opting out of the hotel, CodeCrush staff will be staying at the hotel for additional supervision.
-
Check out our Immersion Experience page for updates on our camps! You can also sign up to receive updates via email here.
-
Unfortunately, every student must be accompanied by a teacher mentor for the Immersion Experiences. We can help you arrange one if needed. The Summer Summit does not have this requirement.
-
Applicants must: Be current eighth or ninth graders. Possess a U.S. address. Commit to attending the full 3-day program.
