Youth Technology CorpsSeptember 2026 · Support for the work ahead
A general operating grant through the foundation’s Vote for What Matters employee campaign will support the organization behind YTC’s growing network.
Employees around the world learned about three global organizations and voted weekly during August and September to help guide Fuller Impact funding. YTC was selected for a $10,000 award, announced on September 19.
In her September 26 message to YTC, Sarah Neunsinger, Executive Director of the H.B. Fuller Company Foundation, explained:
“Organizations included in the Vote for What Matters campaign were selected through a review process that considered several factors, including program quality, alignment with the H.B. Fuller Foundation's focus areas, opportunities to support communities where we do business, and geographic proximity to H.B. Fuller employees and operations. Youth Technology Corp. stood out because of its strong impact and alignment with our priorities around STEM education and youth leadership development.”
“The organizations featured in the campaign were ultimately selected by the H.B. Fuller Company Foundation, and while individual employees supported and voted for the causes they were most passionate about, there was not a single nominator associated with the selection.”
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with organizations like yours and look forward to seeing the continued impact of your work.”
Thank you to the H.B. Fuller Company Foundation and the employees who participated. This support comes at an important moment as YTC works to sustain its small team and meet the needs of more students and communities.
Current stories · September 2026
Student spotlight · Noemi Soto
Robotics opened a new path for Noemi. Teaching it connected her to students in Mexico—and to what they could accomplish together.
01 / Evanston · Her YTC experience
Noemi joined YTC during her senior year at ETHS. Hands-on robotics led her toward mechanical engineering at UIC—and the confidence to compete in a NASA-hosted robotics competition.
What she discovered in Evanston,
she shared with students in Mexico.
02 / Durango & Aguascalientes · Her work in Mexico
Teaching robotics remotely, Noemi saw students take initiative, solve problems together, and build a community across languages and experiences.
At CBTA 173, a student helped lead the class when the professor was away. A conversation with the professor about Mexican sign language opened another connection.
At Preparatoria Segundo Centenario, a class made up mainly of young women shared project photos in a group chat, helping one another troubleshoot their builds.
“YTC isn’t just about technology, but about building community as well.”— Noemi Soto
Leadership spotlight · Juan Zarco
From a Morton West sophomore to YTC’s volunteer Chief Technology Officer, Juan Zarco’s journey shows what “Learn. Teach. Lead. Repeat.” can become.
01 · Learn
Juan joined YTC at Morton West High School in fall 2015. He had never opened a computer. In the club’s basement workspace, refurbishing donated machines taught him hardware, troubleshooting and a practical reason to learn: someone else needed that computer to work.
02 · Teach
In 2018, Juan joined the first YTC team teaching introductory Arduino robotics in Spanish, live online, to students in Durango, Mexico. Explaining the work to other students strengthened both his technical knowledge and his ability to communicate.
03 · Lead
Juan joined YTC’s Leadership Team after graduating in 2018. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UIC in 2022 and his master’s in 2024. He became YTC’s volunteer CTO in 2023, was selected for the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship in 2024, and represented YTC and the Aspen Institute at SXSW EDU in 2025.
04 · Repeat
As chair of YTC’s alumni Leadership Committee, Juan helped rebuild the curriculum, integrate Technical English and train new teachers. He taught and managed the first phase of the 2024–2025 Mexico expansion. The student who once learned to repair computers was now helping other students become the teachers who carried the program forward.
Juan’s story continues every time another student learns enough to teach the next one.
Meet the people behind YTC →College students · Internships & volunteer opportunities
From unique internships to volunteer opportunities shaped around your interests, YTC wants to hear from college students who want to grow in their field by doing meaningful work.
Bring your skills to a real project. Help build a website, design a campaign, develop curriculum, tell a student’s story or strengthen the organization behind a growing global network. You’ll work directly with a member of YTC’s leadership team to shape a role with clear purpose and room for your ideas.
Come on your own, bring a team, start a YTC club at your university or connect an existing student organization with a service opportunity. Help us build a community of college students working across campuses and borders.
Student Makers at Georgia Tech found their own way to contribute. Let’s find yours.