IT professional volunteers time to help 4th-grade students in school tech program
SUAMICO, Wis. (WFRV) – Some technology-savvy 4th-grade students are getting help from someone in the tech industry and it is all out of the goodness of his heart.
Kheenan Halvorson is a security analyst with Schneider and he volunteers for the Timbertail Tech Team. The program at Forest Glen Elementary allows 4th graders to create tools that teachers can use in the classroom and learn to troubleshoot technology.
He says, “It’s really great to see them take what I’m doing and applying it. It’s hard to explain how I feel and how much I really enjoy it. There’s not a lot better than it.”
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Halvorson has been helping the students every Wednesday morning at the tech team meeting for several years now.
Becky Stapel, the advisor of the tech team says, “Just having him work in the IT field, he brings a level of knowledge and expertise to our meetings that provides the kids with support that they might need to fulfill the job requests. It’s very cool for the kids to see that real-life connection.”
The students have also greatly benefitted from Halvorson’s guidance, including Phoebe Olson.
“He has been a very good person in tech team. He’s helped me a lot. He’s helped everybody in tech team and he’s been there for us. If Ms. Stapel’s is doing something, I can always ask him,” Phoebe says.
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About watching the students work on the team Halvorson says, “They are doing stuff that I didn’t do until much later in life and when they get to a stage where it’s really important, they’re going to have all that stuff there ready to use it.”
Halvorson also says he wants to one day teach students more about virtual reality.
