Microsoft’s Ongoing Influence in Immokalee

By Noemi Y. Perez
President and CEO
The Immokalee Foundation

From a business standpoint, the Microsoft name is about as well-known as you can get. The multinational technology company’s products are found in millions of homes and businesses worldwide. Everyone knows their name. Even better, Microsoft’s influence has found an enthusiastic home in Immokalee.

The Immokalee Foundation, in conjunction with Florida Gulf Coast University, has been working with Microsoft to ensure digital skills training for Immokalee students. Collier County Industrial Development Authority has provided matching funds to support the initiative.

Consider this: Immokalee’s families suffer intergenerational poverty and very low educational attainment. Immokalee’s per capita income is $17,927, ranking it 477th out of 485 communities in Florida. Young people in the rural migrant community of Immokalee have limited access to resources that prepare them for the continual digital transformation across industries.

For two consecutive years, The Immokalee Foundation, nationally recognized for its Career Pathways youth education and professional development initiative, has been generously supported by a Microsoft grant as a TechSpark Community Engagement Fellow.

This affiliation is an ideal match as The Immokalee Foundation has been preparing the next generation of leaders through a 100% focus on education, career readiness, and professional development for students in Immokalee for over 33 years.

Immokalee Foundation students learn AI
for drawing and design as part of
Microsoft’s TechSpark program 1

The Foundation’s award-winning Career Pathways program provides new pathways to success and financial independence through robust programming that prepares students for well-paying, in-demand professional careers in Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Education & Human Services, Engineering & Construction Management and Healthcare.

Microsoft’s TechSpark program aims to bridge the gap between youth education and the digital skills needed for success in the modern workforce. The program supports nonprofit organizations nationwide working on expanding economic opportunities in their communities.

TechSpark Immokalee served 157 Immokalee Foundation middle school students last year and 163 this year. Students interested in all four Pathways followed a four week program curriculum based unbuilding digital skills that impact future jobs.

“This program is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our middle school students to be directly exposed to the latest technology used in today’s workforce,” explained Esmeralda Sanchez, Immokalee Foundation Middle School Program Coordinator and this year’s Microsoft Fellow. “It’s a chance for them to gain firsthand knowledge of the tools and innovations shaping professional careers, giving them a head start in understanding the skills and technologies that will be essential in their future careers.”

TechSpark Immokalee’s most recent crop of 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade students were introduced to various topics, highlighted by hands-on learning experiences. The program helped students explore technological developments and their impact on the workplace of the future.

Students examined how data, information, and processes are used and how they push industries toward modernization. The program also took a deep dive into communication and collaboration, exploring everything from graphical communication—such as paper, through phones, the internet, and VR/AR communication—to robots and computers, such as ChatGPT.

Of equal importance, TechSpark students looked at critical thinking and problem-solving, paying special attention to those areas where the human mind exceeds a machine’s learned capabilities.

For this year’s closing activity, we upped our game and invited several organizations to showcase the technology they use in their respective fields, leading to our students’ ability to interact with representatives from Arthrex, Physician Regional Healthcare Systems, Allen Concrete and FGCU Engineering.

“We at Microsoft are proud to be working with the Immokalee Foundation, helping them deliver resources, education and digital skills for students and grow economic opportunity,” said Mike Egan, General Manager, Microsoft TechSpark. “Together, we’re creating a brighter future for Southwest Florida.”

About The Immokalee Foundation

For over 33 years, The Immokalee Foundation has been preparing the next generation of leaders through a 100% focus on education, career readiness, and professional development for students in Immokalee—from kindergarten through postsecondary education.

To learn more about The Immokalee Foundation, become a mentor, host an intern, volunteer as a career panel speaker or host, donate, or include the Foundation in your will, please call 239-430-9122 or visit immokaleefoundation.org