About
thinqueBytes® was founded with a goal of lowering the barrier of entry for people to understand complex technical topics in STEM with an initial focus on artificial intelligence, robotics and rocket science. The thinqueBytes® nonprofit is achieving this goal through curating and supporting creation of informal engaging learning content in order to make complex topics in STEM more accessible to traditionally underserved populations whose numbers are disproportionately low as builders and leaders in STEM vs. the global population numbers.
thinqueBytes® is achieving it’s goal through executing in the following focus areas:
Exposure Matters Tech Symposiums: a focus on bringing people together and providing exposure to topics and resources that underrepresented communities do not traditionally have easy access to.
Education through
a) Training the Trainer - sessions to scale technical knowledge through effectively teaching one how to fish as opposed to giving one a fish to satisfy the moment, and
b) Building and curating inclusive education - support of inclusive and accessible content curation and development that is informal and engaging focusing on trending STEM tech that will impact the world (initially focused on robotics, artificial intelligence, rocket science and sustainability.
Research into how the target customers learn to ensure that content developed meet the needs of the target customer and research into understanding data aligned with representation of underserved / underrepresented groups in STEM with a particular focus at the intersection of underrepresented race and gender identity.
Global Impact: Tech Symposiums
The tech symposium planned for 2025 will provide a chance for researchers from Ghana, the US, and from other parts of the world to share current and trending technical research, and network with industry professionals. The symposium being simulcast virtually around the world, will make it easier for all to present and participate, even if they are unable to travel.
This will be a follow up based on key priorities identified at a Tech Symposium held in 2023, specifically increasing access of Ghanains to research conducted outside of Ghana and vice versa.
Global Impact: Deploying Inclusive STEM Curriculum
thinqueBytes® was founded based on Nia's passion for developing educational content to increase access to "complex" tech topics. Beyond the foundational education videos focus was shifted to developing curriculum that can be delivered and scaled through train the trainer sessions.
Curriculum that has been developed and successfully delivered to date includes Intro to Python and Rockets and Robotics.
Foundational Education Videos
The short videos are developed to be easy to understand for people who might not have any background in artificial intelligence but are interested in learning.
The videos are organized into "bytes". Each byte represents a given topic and will contain up to 8 short videos to teach you about the topic. The bytes will be organized into playlist as a recommended order to consume a collection of videos, however, feel free to watch in any order you'd like! The first byte is "What is Artificial Intelligence?"
Research
The mission of thinqueBytes® is to increase the number of people who have access to learn complex technical topics such as artificial intelligence and to advance the state of technology and impact the communities underrepresented in tech and the world as a whole. This will be done by researching how people learn that are underrepresented in STEM and focusing on deploying educational content that will close the gap on a global scale.
In addition to curating and creating content that is inclusive, thinqueBytes® has a focus on actively collecting data through survey and focus groups and analyzing it to better understand how people learn. This is done with a focus on segments of the population that represent gaps in traditional methods. This includes experience in going through IRB approval to collect and analyze data.
Upcoming Deployments & Opportunites to Sponsor
thinqueBytes® is excited to offer sponsorship opportunities for upcoming activities to advance our mission.
Opportunity 1: K-12 Rockets and Robotics Education Symposium
K-12 Tech Symposium to expose students to Rocket Science and Robotics
We are currently planning a K-12 symposium that will bring together students who do not have easy access to foundational education materials in rocket science and robotics. This will be located in the United States and we are finalizing a location between Los Angeles, Atlanta or Detroit.
Opportunity 2: Global South Train the Trainer and Global Tech Symposium
A Train-the-Trainer session to scale global knowledge in robotics and other STEM fields
A Global Research Tech Symposium that will increase awareness between Ghana, the US, and other parts of the world, of research being performed in robotics and related fields
We are also currently planning and seeking funding for a return deployment in Accra Ghana that will focus on Train-The-Trainer sessions. This concept evolved from thinqueBytes® participation in a program through which thinqueBytes® Rockets and Robotics curriculum was delivered to Ghanaian students in September 2023. The updated model for Train-The-Trainer sessions will focus on increasing access to education in these and other subjects by scaling the expertise in delivering the course materials to local educators and facilitators in Ghana. These participants who will then take on opportunities to volunteer to teach in the community. We will deliver 1 to 2 weeks of training (2-4 courses) depending on funding levels.
For more information on sponsorship levels and donating please contact thinqueBytes.assist@gmail.com.
Donate
Link coming soon! For now contact thinquebytes.assist@gmail.com. Thank you!
Note: A fiscal sponsor is being used to collect donations until thinqueBytes® receives a tax exempt letter to both ensure that donors donations are tax exempt and to allow thinqueBytes® to move forward with the upcoming pilot deployment.
About the founder
Nia Jetter has a background in intelligent optimization, artificial intelligence and controls. She is passionate about changing the world through innovation, technology planning, teaching, mentoring and solving tough problems in Autonomy and AI that can be applied across different platforms. Nia is also focused on helping people who may not have access to fundamental educational materials for complex technical topics as demonstrated through her development and successful deployment of her thinqueBytes® Rockets and Robotics curriculum.
After 20 years as an accomplished Aerospace Engineer who had impact through developing algorithms and working missions for a variety of products including the ~$1B suite of GPSIIF satellites, in January 2021, Nia left the Aerospace Industry as a Technical Fellow to join Amazon as a Senior Principal Technologist for Robotics AI. In this role Nia is a practicing executive level engineer who is a leader in innovation and technical development for critical safe autonomous systems - currently focused on robotics.
Nia has taken thinqueBytes®, her passion project of over 4 years, and formally established a nonprofit to be able to more effectively continue her work in making complex STEM topics like Robotics, AI and Rocket Science accessible to all on a global scale.
Thank You!
