About Us
Based in the University of Victoria Faculty of Engineering, HighTechU is an innovative learning community for high-school-aged youth in British Columbia to make connections, build professional skills, and explore diverse education and career pathways related to technology.
Find out more about who we are by clicking on the buttons below.
“How much you know means nothing if you can't communicate with those around you.”
Our Story
Started in 2018 as a UVic Department of Computer Science pilot project, HighTechU is a collaborative initiative developed in partnership with local industry, educational institutions and high-school students.
Our Mission
To empower the next generation of innovators in British Columbia through real-world, technology-focused experiential learning opportunities.
Our Vision
A diverse and inclusive technology ecosystem which is accessible to all students in British Columbia.
Our Core Values
At the heart of HighTechU are 6 core values that guide the program:
Respect
Honour Diversity
Resilience
Find Success in Failure
Curiosity
Expand your Perspective
Creativity
Dare to be original
Teamwork
Work Collaboratively
Innovation
Embrace Change
Beyond a core value, Diversity is a cornerstone of HighTechU.
Through our learning community, we aim to create a safe and welcoming environment where all persons, regardless of race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, can discover and explore the world of technology and their role leading future innovation.
Our Supporters
HighTechU is truly a community-led non-profit initiative, and would not be possible without the amazing contributions of our Community, Education, and Industry supporters.
Our Team
Ana Hobden
Senior Engineer at Timber Technologies
Senior Engineer at Timber Technologies
Bonnie Alexander
Careers Coordinator at Greater Victoria School District
Careers Coordinator at Greater Victoria School District
Brock Simmonds
InfoTech Leader at Saanich School District
InfoTech Leader at Saanich School District
Dante Di Ponio
Career Coordinator at Sooke School District
Career Coordinator at Sooke School District
Dawn Anderson
Careers Coordinator at Comox Valley School District
Careers Coordinator at Comox Valley School District
Jason Michael
Software Development Manager at Checkfront
Software Development Manager at Checkfront
Jeff Hopkins
Principal at Pacific School of Innovation & Inquiry
Principal at Pacific School of Innovation & Inquiry
Jerome Etwaroo
Associate Director at Coast Capital Savings Innovation Centre
Associate Director at Coast Capital Savings Innovation Centre
Jon Hamlin
District Vice Principal at Greater Victoria School District
District Vice Principal at Greater Victoria School District
Lindsay Johnson
District Vice Principal at Greater Victoria School District
District Vice Principal at Greater Victoria School District
Mary-Anne Teo
Director of Administration at UVic Engineering
Director of Administration at UVic Engineering
Matt Harris
CEO at Dyspatch
CEO at Dyspatch
Meeta Khurana
Manager of Engineering Co-op at University of Victoria
Manager of Engineering Co-op at University of Victoria
Rob Bennett
COO at VIATEC
COO at VIATEC
Tanya Larkin
Vice Principal at Powell River School District
Vice Principal at Powell River School District
Tom Tiedje
Professor of Electrical Engineering at University of Victoria
Professor of Electrical Engineering at University of Victoria
Valerie Irvine
Associate Professor of Educational Technology at University of Victoria
Associate Professor of Educational Technology at University of Victoria
AJ Po-Deziel
DevOps Engineer at NTT Data Services
DevOps Engineer at NTT Data Services
Ana Hobden
Senior Engineer at Timber Technologies
Senior Engineer at Timber Technologies
Charlie Friend
Software Developer at Reliable Controls
Software Developer at Reliable Controls
Daniela Damien
Professor of Computer Science at University of Victoria
Professor of Computer Science at University of Victoria
Danny Briggs
Senior InfoTech Analyst at Greater Victoria Public Library
Senior InfoTech Analyst at Greater Victoria Public Library
Dmitry Anoshin
Alexa Engineer at Amazon
Alexa Engineer at Amazon
Jason Michael
Software Development Manager at Checkfront
Software Development Manager at Checkfront
Lex Verona
Senior Software Engineer
Senior Software Engineer
Andrew MacLean
Outreach Coordinator at UVic Engineering
Outreach Coordinator at UVic Engineering
Aniruddh Sawant
MSc Student in Data Science
MSc Student in Data Science
Cairo Sanders
BSc Student in Computer Science
BSc Student in Computer Science
Dominique Charlebois
BSc Student in Computer Science
BSc Student in Computer Science
Ilamparithi Chelvan
Assistant Teaching Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Assistant Teaching Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ivan Martell
Research Assistant in Bioinformatics
Research Assistant in Bioinformatics
Mateo Gray
MSc Student in Bioinformatics
MSc Student in Bioinformatics
Nichole Chun
BCom Student in International Business
BCom Student in International Business
Nikita Kapoor
MSc Student in Data Science
MSc Student in Data Science
Priya Angara
PhD Student in Quantum Computing
PhD Student in Quantum Computing
Sargun Walia
MSc Student in Information Security
MSc Student in Information Security
Ulrike Stege
Associate Professor of Computer Science at University of Victoria
Associate Professor of Computer Science at University of Victoria
Venish Patel
MSc Student in Data Science
MSc Student in Data Science