4: Thunder Fellows: An Origin Story Centering Equity-Oriented Positive Youth Development

Black participation in the technology industry in all its facets is under 10% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). There is a need to not only increase participation for Black youth, but access to the spaces and experiences that lead up to positions in the technology industry. From a conversation among friends during a sobering anniversary of the destruction of a thriving Black community in the early 20th century, to a program for Black high school and college youth whose roots are deep within the same community, comes the Thunder Fellows. The Thunder Fellows program centers equity-oriented positive youth development by trying to understand and give Black youth what they need to enjoy full, healthy lives including access to all facets of the technology industry, broadly defined. Using a qualitative approach, we describe the origins of the program as part of an ongoing case study and answer the research questions (1) What process did the founders use in the development of the program? and (2) How did the concept translate into implementation of the Thunder Fellows cohort model? We conclude with areas for growth and next steps in the program’s plan for inclusion of a third cohort of students.