When you hand a student a VR headset or a giant touchscreen, you're not just showing them a game — you're showing them a possibility.
Thousands of West Michigan students are getting their first real look at what a future in tech could feel like through an expanded showcase that has grown significantly since its humble beginnings.
When Tech Week began four years ago in Grandville, it started with just one classroom of students. Now, it's grown into a showcase for West Michigan's future.
"It was part of our region's broader strategy to become a leading tech hub in the Midwest, and we wanted a marquee event to showcase all of the innovation and the entrepreneurship and the technology that was happening here in the region," said Andria Romkema, senior vice president of business development at The Right Place.
Inside the Grandville Robotics & Engineering Center, more than 30 companies spent Tuesday giving students a hands-on look at how technology touches every industry, from manufacturing to healthcare to finance.
"We love being here at events like this. This is an opportunity for us to invest in the future of kids and show them the way that technology and banking can really come together," said Brandon Spangler, consumer banking leader at Bank of America.
For students like Aleya Armstrong, an eighth grader at Knapp Charter Academy, the experience is both fun and inspiring.
"I think it's really cool," Armstrong said.
"I think this has made me look at it," she said.
Amir Braylock, also an eighth grader at Knapp Charter Academy, found particular activities that caught his attention.
"I liked some submarine thing, and then the hydraulics that were over there. The hydraulics," Braylock said.
Malaya Campbell, a sixth grader at Knapp Charter Academy, had her own favorites.
"My favorite part was watching the robot dogs, and the VR thing too. I love it," Campbell said.
Blair Dahlke, another sixth grader at Knapp Charter Academy, discovered the event might be changing her perspective on science.
"I never really liked science, but it's making me like it more," Dahlke said.
The hope is that a robot, dogs or even a VR simulation can spark a career in innovation.
"We know at this age, kids start making decisions on what they want to study, what sort of careers they want to pursue, and we want to expose them to get some hands-on experience with local tech companies in the region," Romkema said.
