About Us

The National Urban Technology Center (Urban Tech) is a social enterprise committed to changing the game in education through digital story telling, critical thinking and social emotional learning.

We create solutions for students that recognize their value to society, regardless of their social background, by providing an interactive curriculum that reflects the student’s personal experiences, ideas, and dreams.

By utilizing animation, relatable language, popular music and gamification, Urban Tech is able to engage students on an unprecedented level. Students who have used Urban Technology have demonstrated improvements when it comes to social skills, emotional and physical health, digital literacy, financial education, and a variety of other subjects. Our standards-based curriculum adapts to the needs of the students and prepares them for 21st century careers while providing personal support to teachers and parents in an effort to improve student education.

Our online Youth Leadership Academy modules, developed for children K-12, are engaging programs for students to develop social, emotional, and communication skills while building 21st century digital literacy experience. We started 21 years ago in Bed-stuy, Brooklyn, and have since expanded across the nation. You can find out more about our initiative to bridge the digital divide in the links below.

Since 1995, Urban Tech has been dedicated to bridging the digital divide and creating opportunities for success in disadvantaged communities. With its SEEDTECH Program, founded in 1995, Urban Tech focused on providing underrepresented populations living in poverty with the technology and leadership skills they needed to build better futures for themselves and their families.

By utilizing animation, relatable language, popular music and gamification, Urban Tech is able to engage students on an unprecedented level. Students who have used Urban Technology have demonstrated improvements when it comes to social skills, emotional and physical health, digital literacy, financial education, and a variety of other subjects. Our standards-based curriculum adapts to the needs of the students and prepares them for 21st century careers while providing personal support to teachers and parents in an effort to improve student education.

Our online Youth Leadership Academy modules, developed for children K-12, are engaging programs for students to develop social, emotional, and communication skills while building 21st century digital literacy experience. We started 21 years ago in Bed-stuy, Brooklyn, and have since expanded across the nation. You can find out more about our initiative to bridge the digital divide in the links below.

Since 1995, Urban Tech has been dedicated to bridging the digital divide and creating opportunities for success in disadvantaged communities. With its SEEDTECH Program, founded in 1995, Urban Tech focused on providing underrepresented populations living in poverty with the technology and leadership skills they needed to build better futures for themselves and their families.

Our Mission

Urban Tech is a social enterprise committed to changing the game in education by creating solutions for students that:

Why This Matters

According to a study in 2013 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), youth and adults in the United States are far behind in proficiency areas such as literacy, mathematics, and problem solving in technology-rich environments. The study found that among 16 – 24 year olds in 20 countries, the US ranked:

  • Second to last in average literacy rates
  • Last in average proficiency in basic mathematics
  • Among the last in average youth problem solving proficiency

Among 16 – 64 year olds the United States ranked:

  • Fourth to last in literacy
  • Second to last in basic mathematics
  • Among the last in average adult problem solving proficiency

Although globalization and advances in technology have increased the capacity of our educational systems to prepare youth and adult learners for success in school, career, and life, we continue to see signs that we are not closing the gap fast enough. High school and university dropout rates continue to soar and the gaps between the “haves” and “have nots” continues to widen.
Meanwhile, forecasts by the Center for Education and the Workforce suggest that if the economy maintains then 2018 will hold more opportunities for educated workers than ever before. For example:

  • US economy will create 46.8 million job openings – 13.8 million new jobs and 33 million “replacement jobs”
  • Nearly two-thirds of these 46.8 million jobs – almost 63 percent – will require workers with at least some college education.
  • About 33 percent will require a Bachelor’s degree or better, while another 30 percent will require some college or a two-year Associates degree.

What It Means For The Future

The vast majority of these jobs will also require high levels of analytic, critical thinking, technology and communications skills. Numerous studies and national surveys point to social emotional learning (SEL) as critical to student success in each of these areas; however, the barriers to these skills have been left out of the discussion on improving the outcomes of America’s schools, and must be addressed. In a new national survey, data conclusively shows that teachers across America believe that SEL is critical to student success in school, work and life. We must work together to assure that SEL skills are integrated in academic curricula and become the linchpin of school environments.