Bridging the Digital Divide - BDPA Education and Technology Foundation

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF or BDPA Foundation) is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity, founded in 1992 to support the education and technical programs of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA).

BETF recognizes that to close the gap of computer and technology literacy, minority youth must participate and compete in today’s digital economy. We want students from historically disadvantaged communities to learn advanced computer science and community responsibility from any of the BDPA chapters located around the nation.

About BETF

In 1986, we began developing high school youth for future entrance into the IT industry through the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. Annually, we train up to 900 of these students in after-school computer camps on the latest computer and Internet website developing languages as well as the much-needed industry knowledge and presentation skills.

In addition to the computer camps, we encourage each of the BDPA chapters to bring 5-person teams to the annual BDPA Technology Conference to demonstrate the skills they have learned. We are very proud of the alumni from this annual program.

More Info

Scholarship Winners

Throughout the year, local chapters conduct SITES (Student Information Technology Education and Scholarships) training programs for youth in their communities. The programs are designed to expose the youth to computers and give them the expertise to develop web applications. After competition in regional competitions, each BDPA chapter is able to send 3-5 students to the National Conference and Compete Nationally. BDPA would like to congratulate this years winners!

See Winners

Scholarship Program

We established our scholarship program to stimulate the interest of young people in the fields of science and technology, areas where youth from under-served communities are seriously underrepresented. Our scholarships assist students in obtaining degrees from accredited institutions of high learning in the fields of computer science, mathematics and information technology related field.

Apply Here

OUR SPONSORS

The 44th annual

national bdpa conference 2022 recap

On behalf of BDPA and the Atlanta BDPA Chapter, we are glad to introduce you to all that is in store for the 44th Annual BDPA National Conference! We are excited that you will join us in Atlanta, and we look forward to our time together in August.

Since our last in-person national convening in 2019 and our last virtual conference in 2021, we have been working hard to develop a fun-filled, robust program that will maximize your time in Atlanta. Consistent with the 2022 theme, Honoring Our Legacy, Celebrating Our Pace, this year’s conference will magnify Black voices in tech, celebrate Black excellence in STEM, champion diversity at the corporate level, and provide opportunities to network and build community with Black leaders, students, and organizations from across the country. During our time together, we will delve into a range of topics, including sharing lessons of leadership, exploring techniques to succeed in technology, highlighting the important models of talent development, as well as Black entrepreneurship in tech, to name a few.

Thank you for joining us in Atlanta and lending your voice to empower others. Together, we are expanding opportunities for Black tech professionals and students to raise their voices and harness their talents for positive change from the classroom to the boardroom.

We look forward to seeing you in August!
Sincerely,
Tim Brown, National BDPA President & Conference Co-Chair
Timothy E. Butts, National Vice President of BDPA Operations & Conference Co-Chair