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Beth Stefanik
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Nine St. Anne's-Belfield Students Participate in CBIC Tech Tour 

Charlottesville, Va., October 9, 2015 – Charlottesville Business Innovation Council’s (CBIC) 2015 Tech Tour took place on October 8 and included 395 area middle and high school students. Groups from 23 schools spent the day visiting sites in the Charlottesville and Albemarle County metro region, learning more about career opportunities in technology.

Mr. Zach Minster, co-coordinator of St. Anne’s-Belfield School’s Computer Science Initiative, accompanied eight Upper School students and one student from the Learning Village Grades 5 – 8 on tours of SNL Financial, Scitent, and Willowtree Apps.

“The School got involved in the Tech Tour to show computer science students practical applications of theoretical knowledge they are gaining in the classroom,” said Minster.

“Coming home at the end of the day, students were invigorated about the possibilities of using software and technology to accomplish large, meaningful goals.”

Co-Coordinator of the Computer Science Initiative Ms. Kim Wilkens was the Chair of the tour and worked with her team to coordinate 90 tours to 72 different companies for 30 different groups. Participating companies included the Center for Open Science, Silverchair, Indoor Biotechnologies, and more. 

“The Tech Tour is all about igniting local students' interest in technology-related careers and showcasing the wide variety of opportunities available in our community to pursue their interests,” said Wilkens.

For St. Anne’s-Belfield School junior Junho Moon, the experience did exactly that. 

“The CBIC Tech Tour allowed me to explore career areas I wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to, given my age,” he said.

“The Tech Tour opened my eyes to what’s happening here in Charlottesville and the feasibility of getting a job here.”

All students who participated in the 2015 Tech Tour became eligible to apply for two $2,500 scholarships for continuing education. Since 2003, CBIC’s Tech Tour Scholarship Program has granted $33,000 in scholarships to area students.

Sponsors of this year’s tour included Afton Scientific, Birch Studio, Cardboard Safari, the City of Charlottesville, coshxlabs, Coulter Translational Research Program in U.Va.’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lexis Nexis, National Optronics, NeoVentus, Piedmont Valley Community College, and Virga Ventures.