M&T Tech Teams Up with Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology and Beau Fleuve Music & Arts to Host First-Ever Summer Tech Day

M&T Tech Day

M&T Tech Teams Up with Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology and Beau Fleuve Music & Arts to Host First-Ever Summer Tech Day

Young artists and aspiring innovators ages 12+ invited to a day of exploration, connection and hands-on learning

M&T Tech, the technology division of M&T Bank, has teamed up with the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) and Beau Fleuve Music & Arts to host the first-ever Summer Tech Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, July 25. Designed to inspire Buffalo’s next generation of innovators, Summer Tech Day invites students ages 12 to 18 to participate in a day of immersive learning experiences in the arts and technology fields.

Throughout the day, students will alternate through a variety of activities, focusing on topics including banking basics, 3D printing, virtual reality, creative coding, music production, visual art and graphic design. Local entrepreneurs, engineers and artists will also join dynamic tech panel discussions to provide further encouragement and introduce the students to different career paths.

WHEN: Friday, July 25, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, 368 Sycamore Street, Buffalo, NY 14204

WHO: Interviews will be available with:

Breonna Rankin, Tech Community Engagement Specialist at M&T Bank
Sean Crawford, Director of Advancement at Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology
Lindsey L. Taylor, Founder of Beau Fleuve Music & Arts

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

To help bring Summer Tech Day to life, M&T’s Tech Academy, an initiative focused on growing local talent and strengthening Buffalo’s tech sector, partnered with the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT), which provides arts and workforce development programs that equip students to achieve financial stability and build positive futures, and Beau Fleuve Music & Arts, a multidisciplinary organization that empowers youth and supports Buffalo’s creative community. Together, they aim to encourage students to explore dynamic pathways in the arts and technology through memorable learning experiences.

The M&T Tech Academy is part of M&T Tech, which has launched two Tech Hubs in Buffalo at Seneca One and Lafayette Court. M&T Tech employs more than 2,000 people across the division.

 

M&T Charitable Foundation Sees BCAT as Key to Strengthening Community  

When Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology was still in the idea stage more than a decade ago, M&T Bank was part of the founding group of funders that helped bring the arts and technology nonprofit to Buffalo after learning about its success in Pittsburgh.  Along with First Niagara Foundation, The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and The John R. Oishei Foundation, M&T believed that the model could help build brighter futures for both high school and adult students. 

“M&T Bank’s mission is to strengthen the communities where we operate,” says Don Elick, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager for the M&T Charitable Foundation, “and BCAT does just that by providing a practical pathway to strong futures and jobs that offer family sustaining wages.” 

BCAT’s high school afterschool program, with its focus on the arts also aligns with M&T Bank, according to Elick, sharing that the bank has a long history of supporting arts and cultural institutions. He adds that the arts play a transformative role for young people in building confidence and helping them choose their future pathways. 

Elick notes that BCAT continues to adapt to the needs of the community by expanding their offerings. While first focusing on Allied Health training, BCAT has more recently added technology training for adult students. “There are not enough trained professionals for tech jobs in the area. BCAT’s focus on this training is something that can benefit M&T directly, and more importantly, benefit our region by building a pipeline of future employees for in-demand jobs. 

M&T Bank has furthered its support by contributing the BCAT’s Capital Campaign to provide funding for the recent move to its new East Side location at 368 Sycamore Street.  “We are so excited about the new location that provides room for BCAT to expand. They have demonstrated proven impact and we are very happy to help them increase capacity to train more students and provide opportunities for strong futures that benefit individuals and the entire community,” added Elick.