The Kickass Team
Closing the school to prison pipeline, one student at a time.
TXT:Teens Exploring Technology was founded by Oscar "Blk Jaguar" Hercules, a 2008 graduate of Jordan High School. Growing up in Watts, California, Oscar "Blk Jaguar" Hercules lost friends to drugs, crime, and prison. He thanks his mentor and lacrosse coach, Mr. Wonders, for helping him to stay on track and encouraging him to pursue higher education.
As a kid, Oscar "Blk Jaguar" Hercules had a passion for technology. This interest led him to enroll in the only tech class offered at his school, which turned out to be a glorified typing class. Oscar "Blk Jaguar" Hercules was fortunate to be able to pursue his love for technology by attending college.
He received an undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems from Cal Poly Pomona and a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University. His lack of access to tech classes as an adolescent inspired him to start TXT:Teens Exploring Technolgy as a way to empower teens from impoverished neighborhoods to achieve their full potential.
A decade after graduating, Oscar "Blk Jaguar" Hercules was invited to speak with the students of his alma mater, Jordan High School. He was shocked to learn that the school’s tech curriculum had not changed since his time as a student. Teens in his school continued to lack opportunities to make them competitive in the marketplace.
What We Do
We serve young men of color between the 7th and 11th grade who come from low income communities. Since 2009, we have used the concept of developing strong teams as a way of teaching our young men of color about collaboration, ideation, and long-lasting life skills. In small teams our youths learn the process of taking an idea from concept to market. We use coding as the catalyst to take young men of color and turn them into technology leaders who build positive communities.
Teens Exploring Technology (TXT) encourages inner city teenage Black and Latino males to become catalysts of change in urban communities. Our approach is to use technology as a tool for promoting positive youth development and leadership, and ultimately paving the pathway to higher education and majors and careers in Science, Technology Engineering, Math (STEM).
