NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 800 members of NY Tech Meetup (NYTM), the monthly nexus for emerging Silicon Valley talent, gathered at 92Y on November 2, 2011 to celebrate the successful culmination of the second Startup Summer Program, which provided internships at tech startups including Gust, ComiXology, Foursquare, Livestream, Magnify.net, The Morris + King Company, Personal Democracy Forum, and TekServe.

(Photo: [ http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111107/CG00439 ])

Startup Summer, in partnership with Camp Interactive and MOUSE, local nonprofits that provide technology-based programs that engage, empower, and inspire students from underserved communities, is an internship program that gives New York City high school students the opportunity to spend the summer working and learning at New York's most innovative technology companies.

The NYTM Startup Summer ran for six weeks this summer, with each of the interns engaging in a wide variety of technical projects, including web design and development, marketing, sales and community management. They had the opportunity to work with a dedicated technology mentor and gain hands-on experience within an exciting and innovative technology company.

"My internship at TekServe helped me get ready for the professional environment by teaching me important skills, especially networking with others," said Rigel Leonard, who participated in the MOUSE program at the School of the Future and also interned at TekServe last summer. As a result of his internship, Rigel was offered a part-time position at TekServe. He is currently attending Borough of Manhattan Community College.

"We took a chance with a high school intern after speaking with Camp Interactive. We put our intern right onto our android app team, and within three weeks he had provided us with lines and lines of code that helped fix the app," said Dennis Crowley, CEO of Foursquare. "By the end of the summer, our high school intern was managing his own project and in charge of a team of NYU grad students."

"Today's interns are tomorrow's CEOs and internships are the seeds of future entrepreneurial giants," said David S. Rose, CEO of Gust. "From high school to graduate school, our interns were critical additions to our organization. I'm not sure who got more out of the internship, the interns or their mentors!"

AT&T (NYSE: [ T ]) is the founding sponsor of NYTM Startup Summer. Sponsorships provide support for the overall program management and a salary for each participating student.

"We deeply appreciate AT&T's commitment to education and ensuring that today's youth are successful in school and in the future," said Carole Wacey, Executive Director, MOUSE. "Through the generous support of AT&T, we are thrilled that students from Camp Interactive and MOUSE participated in summer internships at these innovative technology firms, providing a unique opportunity to experience the professional world and to become better prepared for exciting careers in the future."

About NYTM

Started in 2004 by Meetup.com Founder and CEO Scott Heiferman and co-founded by Dawn Barber, the NY Tech Meetup has over 18,500 members, representing professionals from all parts of the New York technology community. NYTM centers around its monthly events, where members gather to watch emerging companies demo new ideas, hear leading-edge thinking on technology topics, and build their networks to develop their businesses. NYTM has been integral in the birth of New York's new Silicon Alley, with nearly every notable new company, including Foursquare and Tumblr, making their debut at a NYTM demo. NYTM is a not-for-profit, community-led organization. Its Executive Director is Nate Westheimer, Managing Director is Jessica Lawrence, and Chair of the Board is Andrew Rasiej. [ www.nytm.org ]

About MOUSE

MOUSE is an innovative youth development organization that empowers underserved students to provide technology support and leadership in their schools, supporting their academic and career success. Founded in New York City in 1997, MOUSE is a dynamic nonprofit organization having a positive and lasting impact on students in more than 300 locations in the United States, including in New York, California, Chicago and Texas, as well as a global presence in more than 50 countries. To learn more about MOUSE, visit [ http://www.mouse.org ].

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

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NY Tech Meetup Celebrates Second Annual NYTM Startup Summer High School Internship Program Supported by Founding Sponsor AT&T

NY Tech Meetup Celebrates Second Annual NYTM Startup Summer High School Internship Program Supported by Founding Sponsor AT&T

Program pairs the city's public high school students with New York's most innovative technology companies