From exploring artificial intelligence to building circuits and programming robots, students discovered new possibilities for their futures at two HISPA Youth Conferences held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Oct. 5 and Rutgers University on Oct. 14.
The conferences brought together universities, corporate partners, and professionals to expand access to AI and STEM careers for low-income youth. Through hands-on workshops, personal stories, and conversations with relatable role models, students explored technical concepts alongside the critical thinking, communication, creativity, and leadership skills essential to success in college and the workplace.
Preparing youth for today’s workforce requires more than technical AI proficiency. It also requires human-centric skills — the abilities people use to think critically, create, adapt, persevere, and solve problems. By integrating these skills into AI and STEM learning, HISPA helps students build the judgment to evaluate AI-generated information, apply technology responsibly, and bring their own ideas and perspectives to the workplace.
As HISPA celebrates its 20th anniversary, these experiences reflect the organization’s continued evolution to prepare students for a changing world. Its role model approach connects young people with professionals working in rapidly advancing fields, helping students understand both the technologies shaping their futures and the human skills they will need to navigate them.
HISPA brought 162 ninth- and tenth-grade students from Passaic and Elizabeth school districts to NJIT for “Take ActIon: Lead the Next Wave!” All participating students came from low-income households, and 94% identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Co-sponsored by NJIT and the Hispanic and Latinx Leadership Council, and co-hosted by the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research, and Development (CHPRD), the conference combined hands-on AI and STEM workshops with mentorship and campus exploration. Alumni of the New Jersey Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program supported the event and connected students with mentors at different stages of their educational and professional journeys.
Students explored topics ranging from AI agents in business operations to product development, linking AI literacy with entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, leadership, and career readiness. Facilitators emphasized responsible AI use and encouraged students to consider how ethical judgment, communication, and problem-solving complement technical knowledge.
Workshop offerings included Verizon’s Analog AI Prompt Engineering, Exploring Binary Code from NJIT’s Center for Pre-College Programs, and an AI career workshop involving NJIT’s Ying Wu College of Computing and the NSF-IES INVITE AI Institute. Citi STEM professionals and leaders from AI-powered platforms Mavity, Supliful, and Veriklick also led sessions connecting technology with workplace applications and career possibilities.
At Rutgers University, students explored engineering, chemistry, biotechnology, and robotics through a conference co-hosted by PSEG and Adelante and co-sponsored by Rutgers University School of Engineering.
The featured HISPA Talk, “Take Action, Achieve Your Dreams,” introduced students to Margaret Dominguez, associate branch head of the Optics, Lasers and Photonics Branch at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Dominguez shared her journey from growing up on a pig farm in Puebla, Mexico, to becoming an optical engineer at NASA.
Opening speakers encouraged students to recognize their potential as innovators. Associate Dean for Student Services at Rutgers School of Engineering Dr. Evelyn Hanna invited them to ask, “What if?” and consider how engineering shapes everyday life, emphasizing that innovation begins with noticing a problem and imagining how to make something better.
Energy Efficiency & Electric Vehicle QA/QC Program Support Manager at PSEG, Marlon Avelino Coello, connected his work in quality assurance at PSEG with familiar systems in students’ homes, making STEM careers tangible.
HISPA’s educational programs are made possible by its 2026-27 Founding-level Funders Verizon and SOMOS, co-founding-level Funders Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and Princeton Area Community Foundation, and Annual Funders Amazon, Bank of America, Bloomberg, the Delta Dental Foundation, the LSEG Foundation, Prudential Financial and Visa.
HISPA is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes professionals to serve as role models and inspire students to pursue higher education and achieve their potential. Over 20 years, HISPA has mobilized 3,500 role models to reach more than 32,000 students through more than 4,000 classroom visits, 100 corporate visits, and 50 youth conferences on college campuses.