ATCONNECT
I came. I saw. I coded. Join us for a day of fun on April 26th, Saturday 10AM-4PM.
About Us
Sponsors
Prizes
People
FAQ
WHAT IS ATCONNECT?
ATConnect is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology's first-ever fair connecting students and companies across the county to create and share their assistive technology with students with disabilities. The event is organized by TJ's Assistive Technology Club, which emphasizes working with and creating technology for students with disabilities. Here is a link to some of our club's previous projects. At the event, students and companies will present their products in separate booths for anyone to join.
WHY ATCONNECT?
We believe Assistive Technology will help bring full unity to the world. This event will showcase the power of Assistive Technology from schools around the district and beyond. We are just as excited to host this event as we are to see what incredible technology you can come up with!
BE A PART OF THE MAGIC
We're here to deliver the dream and spread awareness to those in need. Whether you're a high school team or a sponsor, come join us for the first-ever TJ Assistive Technology fair, coming April 26th, 2025!
Bronze
Booth Holders
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
🥇1 | $400 |
🥈2 | $300 |
🥉3 | $200 |
Derrick Fowles
Virginia TechDerrick Fowles is a visionary leader and passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity, focusing on empowering individuals with disabilities. Pursuing his MBA, Derrick brings experience from his role as the Accessible Materials Coordinator in the student disability office, where he has showcased exceptional leadership by organizing large-scale events and implementing innovative solutions. His pursuit of the CPACC disability certification underscores his commitment to understanding diversity and inclusion. As a member of the GSA leadership at Virginia Tech, Derrick's unique experiences, strategic thinking skills, and dedication to promoting equal opportunities enable him to make a lasting, positive impact on the graduate population, fostering an inclusive environment where every student can thrive and reach their full potential.
Rachel Brady
GeorgetownRachel Brady, PT, DPT, MS is a physical therapist and assistant professor at the Georgetown University, Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). Dr. Brady is also the director of the Georgetown University Certificate in Early Intervention Program in the School of Continuing Studies. She has over 30 years of experience in inclusive early childhood and intervention services and over 20 years in interdisciplinary early childhood personnel training and related research. Dr. Brady has publications and presents in the areas of assistive technology, including and serving children with disabilities and complex needs in early educational settings, and training and education in early childhood intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It is both! Similar to a science fair judges will walk through and rank the projects based on three categories.
Any student developer will compete in the fair. They do not have to be high school students. Students of any age can compete and they are not required to have a co-designer. Companies are given a booth to display their technology, they are not part of the competition.
The companies are just showcasing their technologies to the participants of the fair. They are sharing assistive technology with anyone who might be interested.
We have three categories: Product Feasibility, Technical Innovation, and Presentation. There will be multiple judges and we will implement a rubric for each category. This means there will be a voting system.
Co-designers do not need to act as co-designer for the event. The goal is for each group to have an interactive activity for the fair-goers. The fair-goers will be the “showcaser”. They get to have a personal experience with the product.
This fair will expose new technologies for those with disabilities. Each booth will feature fun, interactive activities that engage students with disabilities. This fair will benefit parents because they will be able to see new technologies. It could also raise awareness among parents who don’t know or are close to someone with a disability.
The difference is that we’re focused on Assistive Technology and implementing a competition. The judging criteria are also different. The goal is to make the projects interactive. The project will be judged on technical innovation and how it interacts with the students at the fair.
The primary purpose is to help introduce assistive technology and spread awareness for it. Make assistive technology more accessible to the public. The fair is there because we want to make it easy for us to showcase both students and the company’s technology. The competition is there to motivate the students to work as hard as they can on the technology. It’s an incentive to have more student groups want to make assistive technology. We will reduce confusion but stating that the fair is a fun interactive version of a STEM fair.
With time we can gain more prominence. The event conditions itself have to be fun. We can get TJHSST volunteers to come and get service hours. The next few upcoming officers will continue the event. The TJHSST Assistive Technology club (ATC) will be more integrated with the event.