18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY December 19-25, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com MC GIVES For the season of giving, Jacob Martinez and his team at Digital NEST had an idea: If the nonprofit that provides career skills to youth could garner 100 donations, Martinez would get his first tattoo on his upcoming birthday. Challenge accepted. Digital NEST quickly netted 120 donations, totaling about $7,500, and on Nov. 23, Martinez got a tattoo of the nonprofit’s logo on his arm, which was livestreamed on social media for all to see. Such a creative fundraising effort proved effective, with about half of the donations coming from first-time donors, he says. It’s that type of ingenuity that is a critical component of Digital NEST’s mission—as an organization that is deep into the ever-evolving world of technology, such out-of-the-box thinking is required to ensure its students always remain in step with whatever digital advances come their way. Digital NEST offers technology learning centers for youth ages 14-24, teaching them career skills in the tech space and placing them in jobs in the Silicon Valley and beyond. Launched in Watsonville in 2014, Digital NEST has since expanded to Salinas, Gilroy, Modesto and soon, Stockton. “We launched with this ambitious, big bold vision that a lot of start-ups have,” says Martinez, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit. “I always thought we’d be in communities all across the state, but I didn’t realize how quickly it would happen for us.” For Monterey County Gives!, Digital NEST’s Big Idea is to help support the growth of its Salinas center, located downtown at 210 Salinas St. in an historic fire station. Digital NEST’s in-house digital media agency, bizzNEST, offers young people ages 18-24 paid internships to work at businesses within their communities. For 2024, there are 60 interns, chosen from a pool of 550 applications, resulting in more than $1 million in total salaries. These interns are ready to work in a variety of jobs—from web development, to marketing, graphic design, IT support and more. But they need businesses to hire them. “When companies are looking for talent to bring in, let’s not look beyond our region,” Martinez says. “We have the talent right here in our community.” GENEVA RICO PHOTOGRAPHY Digital Decade Digital NEST marks 10 years of training the next generation of tech leaders. By Erik Chalhoub Students in Digital NEST’s programs learn the ins and outs of videography and other tech-centered careers. How to Donate Go to www.mcgives.com and click the Donate button. • The Academic World Quest (AWQ) program develops the global awareness necessary to understand our interconnected and rapidly changing world. This High School academic competition is a collaborative experience that presents opportunities to students to learn about global issues by focusing on international politics, economics, geography, history and cultures. The result is improved communication and leadership skills. Our local winning team earns a trip to Washington DC to compete at the national level against other teams sponsored by World Affairs Councils of America. • The World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area conducts numerous programs involving the presentation, discussion and study of international affairs, including monthly guest speaker luncheons and dinners with presentations by global thought leaders. To learn more join the World Affairs Council to gain a better understanding of your world www.wacmb.org Please Support Monterey Peninsula Youth Education, Creating our Leaders of Tomorrow montereycountygives.com/wac Donation Deadline 12/31/24 Please donate to support World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area After 30 years in Monterey County, The Marine Mammal Center must relocate to a new facility. Before we can continue serving this community with our critical conservation work, your help is needed to make our new home a reality. You support will help sick and injured seals, sea lions and sea otters so they can be released back to the wild. A Seal Pup Needs You Donate MarineMammalCenter.org .......................
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