News from the Ada Jobs Foundation
Coding, Collaboration, and Competition: Inside the Youth Coding League
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker It was August 29th and the anticipation in the Ada Jobs Foundation Conduit offices was palpable. Twelve fifth and sixth graders from three different schools in Pontotoc County opened their Chromebooks nervously, excited to begin their journey...
Newsletter 10.01.2023: Economic Development News for the Ada Area
Read the 10.01.2023 Newsletter HERE! Want to receive news from the Ada Jobs Foundation? Sign up HERE!
Unlocking the Sky: How Pontotoc Technology Center Is Training the Next Generation of Drone Experts
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker When drones first came on the market, many saw them as a toy, much like the remote-control airplanes and helicopters of our youth. However, while drones can be used for fun and recreation, the possibilities for applications of the technology, as...
Newsletter 09.24.2023: Economic Development News for the Ada Area
Read the 09.24.2023 Newsletter HERE! Want to receive news from the Ada Jobs Foundation? Sign up HERE!
Mapping our Present, Preparing for our Future: Mark Masoner and True North Mapping and Solutions
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker In 2010, Mark Masoner was working as a paraprofessional at Homer Elementary when he saw a BrainPOP cartoon about George Washington surveying the west. The cartoon stuck in his brain and he thought, “I want to do something like that.” Masoner had...
Newsletter 09.10.2023: Economic Development News for the Ada Area
Read the 09.10.2023 Newsletter HERE! Want to receive news from the Ada Jobs Foundation? Sign up HERE!
Barbara Bonner-Stephens and the Menace of Feral Hogs: Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurship
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker The beauty of innovation is that sometimes ideas can come when you least expect them. That was the case for Barbara Bonner-Stephens. Bonner-Stephens was the Regional and Technology Commercialization Director for the Oklahoma Small Business...
Newsletter 09.03.2023: Economic Development News for the Ada Area
Read the 09.03.2023 Newsletter HERE! Want to receive news from the Ada Jobs Foundation? Sign up HERE!
Entrepreneurship and Adaptability: Bruce Jones and Forty Years of Technology
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker It was the winter of 1986 and Bruce Jones was sitting in a cold dark room, wearing a heavy military coat. The heat was off, and the only light came from the computer monitor in front of him. He had started his business, Workable Programs and...
Newsletter 08.20.2023: Economic Development News for the Ada Area
Read the 08.20.2023 Newsletter HERE! Want to receive news from the Ada Jobs Foundation? Sign up HERE!
Esports at ECU: Not Just Fun and Games
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker Cody Soden has a passion for gaming, and he isn’t alone. Soden, the Director of Alumni Relations and ECU Tiger Esports Coach, started his journey into gaming when he was three years old. While that might seem young, it really isn’t that uncommon...
Press Release: Oklahoma’s 1st Youth Coding League Team
ADA, OKLAHOMA – This Fall the Ada Jobs Foundation (AJF) is hosting a county-wide team for the Youth Coding League. They will be teaching computer science and coding to fifth and sixth graders in a fun environment, emphasizing technical skill, creativity, and teamwork....
Newsletter 08.13.2023: Economic Development News for the Ada Area
Read the 08.13.2023 Newsletter HERE! Want to receive news from the Ada Jobs Foundation? Sign up HERE!
Connection, Collaboration, and the Conduit Initiative: Bringing 21st Century Tech Entrepreneurship to Rural Southern Oklahoma
By: Sunnie Dawn Baker When the Ada Jobs Foundation received the Economic Development Administration’s Build to Scale Venture Challenge Grant in 2021 (Award number ED21HDQ0240067), new possibilities were created in Southern Oklahoma, specifically Ada, but these...
KTEN: Ada e-sports students could find a future in tech industry
By Alexander Porter, KTEN ADA, Okla. (KTEN) — As e-sports grows in popularity in Ada, an effort is being made to expand career opportunities within the tech industry. "People with an interest in some type of video games growing up typically have a very technical...