Get your high school students involved in KINBER’s NextGen Navigators™ program!

Student participants will be introduced to tech career pathways, and participate in innovative and creative STEM learning through hands-on digital navigation training with real-world community impact.

KINBER’s NextGen Navigators™ leverages curriculum from Teens Teach Tech, powered by AT&T, an initiative of Connected Nation, and engages students in hands-on service design, coaching underserved community members in digital skills and providing digital devices to those who can most benefit from them.

Led by mentor teachers, this meaningful experiential approach empowers the school-based teams to turn students into leaders that give back to their community, making STEM career exploration and learning enjoyable, engaging, and impactful. Co-construction of the digital navigator training plans allow students and teachers to develop systems that fit the needs of their community.

Download the NextGen Navigators one-sheet here.

In collaboration with

The Lancaster NextGen Navigators™ program introduces high school students to tech career pathways while equipping them with digital literacy, troubleshooting, and coaching skills. 

Led by KINBER with support from IU13, and the support of the Lancaster STEM Alliance and the Steinman Foundation, the program will engage three school districts, 36 students, and 6 mentors.

“NextGen Navigators is a program that helps underserved communities through teaching high school students like myself tech skills, which then we get put into the community and we get to teach the underserved communities with skills that we learned.” - Lancaster NextGen Navigator Participant

Fall 2025

In-School/After-School Training:  

  • Students will complete digital navigator training using curriculum developed by the American Library Association for Teens Teach Tech, an initiative of Connected Nation. 

  • Training sessions will focus on digital literacy, technology troubleshooting, and coaching strategies.

  • Participants will begin forming their digital navigation implementation plans.

Community Outreach

  • Leveraging KINBER and other community support, identify and connect with underserved individuals in the community who would benefit from digital skills training. 

Spring 2026

Implementation of Co-constructed Digital Navigation Plans:

  • Teams will implement their digital navigation plans, engaging with community members. 

  • Students meet with community members to provide one-on-one or small group digital skills assistance. 

  • Students distribute refurbished laptops to identified underserved individuals. 

Local Impact

Join Us

Download the NextGen Navigators Program Summary

Help your students build their skills and those of their community! The Lancaster NextGen Navigators’™ program will equip 36 high school students with IT and digital navigation skills, distribute at least 30 digital devices, and provide digital literacy support to 100+ underserved community members.

Lead a team of NextGen Navigators™ and share with your students an innovative and creative approach to STEM learning that integrates hands-on digital navigation training with real-world community impact.

Ready to join? Register your school here: NextGen Navigator Enrollment

To learn more, contact Director of Growth and Engagement, Sharon Greelish Cody.

Interested in bringing NextGen Navigators to your community?

For any questions, contact KINBER Director of Growth and Engagement, Sharon Greelish Cody at sgcody@KINBER.org

FAQs

Click through to learn more details about our NextGen Navigator Program!

  • Students will receive $150 stipend for their participation in the two-day summer kickoff.  Stipends will be mailed directly to students following the summer kickoff.  

  • Teachers will receive a total of $500.  The first payment of $250 will be mailed directly to teachers following the summer kickoff.  The second payment of $250 will be mailed directly to teachers in late Spring 2026.  

  • Each school team will be provided with at least 10 laptop computers to distribute to community members who would benefit from digital devices and training to better engage in the digital world.  

  • Connected Nation provides each school team with $500 in start-up funds.  These funds can be used by the team/school without restrictions, as long as it is of benefit to the students or the program.  Additionally, Connected Nation provides a financial incentive to the school for each person trained, up to $4,000.   

  • It’s up to you!  As part of co-constructing implementation plans, students and mentors will identify not only who, but also how they will provide the devices, training, and support to their community members who need it most.  KINBER will provide support in identifying other community-based organizations to connect with, however each school’s social worker and/or home-school visitor is a great place to start!  The training and support provided may be done in conjunction with events and services the school or district is already providing (open house, parent-workshops, etc.) Each school team will provide digital navigation training and support to at least 35 people in their community either via small-group workshops, 1:1 support, or other.   

  • Mentors will determine how and when to meet with student teams to work through the Teen Teach Tech, powered by AT&T curriculum and plan for implementation, as well as how and when students will provide the digital navigation training and support.  Some schools utilize club or flex time in their schedule, others choose to meet before or after school.  It is recommended that school teams provide at least 5 hours of service.  

    Tentatively, from September to December time will be spent learning and refining implementation plans. Beginning in January (through April) teams will provide training and digital navigation support and service to the community.   

NextGen Navigators Participant Resources