Programs — DIGI International Society

Our Model

Five Pillars. One Transformative Experience.

Each pillar is research-backed, tied to measurable outcomes, and delivered simultaneously across the full program year. This is exactly what every DIGI student receives and the impact it creates.

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Pillar 01

Tech Access & Enablement

320,000 Washington students lack adequate internet at home. DIGI doesn't loan devices. Students earn them and keep them forever.

What Every Student Receives

✓Take-home Chromebook and mobile hotspot, earned and kept upon completion
✓Coding fundamentals: Python, HTML/CSS, and block-based programming
✓AI prompt engineering and responsible AI literacy training
✓3D printing design, prototyping, and fabrication projects
✓Urban FarmBot robotics: program real machines that grow real food
✓Digital citizenship, online safety, and data privacy curriculum

Why This Matters

320Kstudents offline

Washington State students without adequate home internet. A single device changes a student's trajectory across every subject, every year, permanently.

15-25%

Digital literacy improvement targeted by year end

100%

Of graduates keep their Chromebook and hotspot

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DIGI Outcome: Every graduate leaves with permanent internet access and the technical skills to use it. The digital divide closes the day they complete the program.

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Pillar 02

Community Outreach

1 in 4 children in South King County are food insecure. DIGI students don't just learn about this problem. They grow the solution.

What Every Student Receives

✓Urban FarmBot garden installation and maintenance at Title-1 schools
✓Grow and distribute fresh produce to food-insecure families
✓Neighborhood beautification and community service projects
✓Civic Innovation Lab: student-designed solutions to local challenges
✓Partnership projects with local nonprofits and organizations
✓Minimum 15 structured community service hours per year

Why This Matters

1,000+lbs of produce

Year 1 target for fresh food grown by students and distributed directly to food-insecure families in South King County.

1 in 4

Children in the region face food insecurity

100%

Of students complete 15+ service hours

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DIGI Outcome: Students become active contributors to their communities while developing civic identity, leadership, and a service ethic that lasts beyond the program.

✈️

Pillar 03

Cultural Immersion

No regional competitor offers structured international travel as part of youth STEM development. For DIGI, it isn't optional. It is core.

What Every Student Receives

✓Structured international travel to Kenya, Panama, Germany, and Japan
✓Pre-trip cultural competency and language preparation curriculum
✓Service-learning projects embedded in each destination
✓Cross-cultural collaboration with local youth organizations abroad
✓Post-trip reflection, storytelling, and community presentations
✓Passport and travel documentation support for first-time travelers

Why This Matters

181countries of origin

Represented in South King County. These students come from the world. DIGI takes them back into it with purpose, structure, and support.

International destinations across four continents

Other regional programs offering integrated international travel

🎯

DIGI Outcome: Students develop genuine cross-cultural competency, global perspective, and the confidence to navigate unfamiliar environments, skills that define leaders.

🧠

Pillar 04

Life Skills Development

89% of South King County students aspire to college. Only 29% graduate. The gap isn't ambition. It is preparation. DIGI builds the bridge.

What Every Student Receives

✓Financial literacy: budgeting, saving, credit, and investing basics
✓Mindfulness and emotional regulation techniques
✓Career exploration, resume writing, and interview preparation
✓Leadership development and public speaking practice
✓Cooking and nutrition fundamentals
✓College and post-secondary pathway planning

Why This Matters

60%aspiration gap

The difference between students who dream of college (89%) and those who actually graduate (29%). Life skills close this gap by building the habits, confidence, and readiness that persist.

90%

Of participants targeted to maintain or improve GPA

70%+

Measurable social-emotional competency growth

🎯

DIGI Outcome: Students graduate with the practical life skills, emotional resilience, and academic habits that turn aspiration into completion.

🤝

Pillar 05

A-Team Mentorship

1 in 3 young people grow up without a consistent mentor. Research shows that one stable adult relationship can change the entire trajectory of a young person's life.

What Every Student Receives

✓Matched 1:1 with a trained professional mentor for the full program year
✓Structured bi-weekly check-ins and goal-setting sessions
✓Mentor training in trauma-informed practices and cultural competency
✓Career exposure through mentor's professional network
✓Peer-to-peer mentoring: upperclassmen guide newer cohort members
✓Year-end celebration and transition planning to next level for continued engagement

Why This Matters

1 in 3

Young people in America grow up without a consistent mentor. For youth in underserved communities, the ratio is even worse. One relationship changes everything.

80%+

Mentor relationships sustained for full program year

85%+

Student retention across the complete program

🎯

DIGI Outcome: Every student has a champion. Retention data shows mentored students stay in the program, stay in school, and build the relationships that carry them forward.