Dallas Teen's Computer Camp Nationally Recognized

A 17-year-old Dallas student is being nationally recognized for his work promoting technology education in local youth.

Jake Galant was awarded $36,000 and the national Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award for his work in creating the Tera Byte Outreach Project, a camp that teaches Dallas under-served youth how to create video games.

Galant created his organization as an offset of his for-profit computer camp.

Attending private school, Galant offered several of his peers a tutoring program, but then decided find a way to provide low income and underprivileged students with same tools and opportunities as his peers.

With the money raised through tutoring kids of wealthier families, Galant began his nonprofit, 4-day boot camp in 2012.

Through his efforts, Galant and his organization has expanded from 15 students at one school to educating approximately 120 students across six schools.

"I realized that a lot of kids didn't have the money or the opportunity to get this sort of enrichment and so I thought that if I can bring this program to Dallas public schools, that could make a change and get kids excited about computer science," said Galant.

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam awards recognize Jewish teens that demonstrate and exemplify the spirit of tikkun olam, a central Jewish precept meaning to repair the world.

The Helen Diller Family Foundation awards $36,000 each year "to 15 Jewish U.S. teens for exceptional leadership and engagement in service projects to make the world a better place."

The program is currently accepting nominations.

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