Celebrating the years as TechCamp closes – what impact will alumni make next?
After more than 14 years, the U.S. Department of State TechCamp Program is coming to a close. TechCamps, with their powerful, hands-on format, have been a unique and bold vehicle for connecting key populations including journalists, non-governmental organizations, entrepreneurs, and civil society advocates with technology to address important topics from countering disinformation to climate change and economic empowerment. While this is the end of the TechCamp program, our alumni continue to explore and apply innovative tech solutions to global issues. While budget constraints have made this decision necessary, we will always celebrate our participants and the impact they have made – and are making – around the world.
Through the years, TechCamps have focused on results, making it possible for more than 4,000 participants to identify real-world challenges, work with local implementing partners and hundreds of trainers to apply technology solutions, and make a difference in their communities. These changemakers hail from more than 150 countries around the globe, representing all world regions.
TechCamp is proud of its strong alumni network. Many TechCamp alumni have gone on to participate in other Department of State exchange programs including the International Visitor Leadership Program, Fulbright, Professional Fellows Program, TechWomen, the Climate Action Champions Network, and all of the Regional Youth Networks. TechCamp alumni have also received prestigious fellowships like the Chevening, the Obama Foundation’s Leaders program, and the United Nations India YuWaah Advocates. Some serve on nonprofit boards, including Beyonce’s BeyGOOD initiative and the Malala Fund, among others.
The implementing partners and TechCamp trainers deserve special thanks. They represent a broad range of civil society institutions and the private sector, from think tanks and NGOs such as Impact Hub, The Wilson Center, Poynter Institute, and Code for Africa, to companies in the private sector including Google, Microsoft, Intel, Meta, and many start-ups.
The TechCamp program’s legacy will continue through the work of our distinguished alumni and through the networks they have built. The U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Alumni community will always have a place for TechCamp alumni, and it is hoped that they will continue to engage with the United States and with each other for many years to come.
