Yo Art was the happy recipient of a very generous gift from Benefitfocus last week!  Executive Director Elizabeth Bowers accepted 20 laptops Monday, June 4th at the Customer Success Center of Benefitfocus from Michael Kelly and Ed Turner.  This gift is overwhelmingly appreciated and critical to our student’s futures.

Since, Michael Kelly’s has become the newest member of Yo Art’s board! His words below let our organization know he’d be a valuable tool to fulfill our mission and grow in the coming years.

Michael says, “This is what Yo Art means to me: Last year I visited a Fortune 50 software company client of ours in the Palo Alto area for a work trip, and it was a huge experience for me. Thousands of the world’s smartest people, all in the same area, producing tech for the whole world. The trip made it real and tangible, whereas before it seemed like those type of organizations exist on another planet.

“Similarly, I imagine children in the Yo Art program would feel the same way. To connect them with local employers and put technology in their hands makes it real and shows them a path they can realistically take to find a good future for themselves and their families.

“I’ve studied Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and quantum comp for a while as an interest/hobby. People will be surprised by the pace and degree of impact from these areas. Children with access to new and powerful tools will have a huge advantage and vice-versa. I love to see Yo Art supplementing the local community with opportunity they otherwise wouldn’t have. Yo Art’s programs are the gateway.

“It’s a serious topic. Public (as well as private) schools will struggle to keep pace with technology because of bureaucratic processes, logistics and change. No way to keep up. The private and charitable communities will have to help if the community is to prosper. Giving local kids exposure could make all the difference in the world, and for generations to come.”