About Us

Who we are and where we started


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Our History

IN 1996, GENERATION YES WAS FOUNDED AS A 5-YEAR U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CHALLENGE GRANT. 

Our nonprofit was created to scale the successful student-led technology support model developed during the initial grant. The GenYES program has been around ever since. Over its twenty-year history, Generation YES has participated in several large-scale grants and customized implementations supporting its core mission. Many comprehensive third-party research projects have been done on the efficacy of the GenYES model, making it one of the most well-researched projects in EdTech. Our research and past projects can be found here.

Generation YES takes on about 100 new schools every year. This enables us to closely work with schools to create a sustainable program which can be carried forward for years. Successfully infusing a school with a program like GenYES takes a lot of time and effort- student recruitment, new assessment methodologies, data collection, changing culture and practices are all barriers to effective implementation. Our long history has enabled us to predict challenges and to provide solutions. To support our mission and help more schools provide unique learning opportunities for students, please visit the Donate page. Your donation will ensure that students are getting much needed confidence and exposure to technology to bridge the digital divide.


As for the Generation YES project, all I can say is the obvious: it’s great! I think it’s by far the best project funded by the U.S Department of Education.
— Seymour Papert, Ph.D Co-founder of MIT’s Multimedia Lab and MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab, Co-inventor of Logo
Generation YES... prove[s] that the nearly 50 million students in our schools are ready to become our nation’s most plentiful and critical resources for educational reform and improvement.
— Encyclopedia of Distance Learning, written by J. Boettcher and L. Schenk

Contact Us

Email: [email protected]

Call Toll Free: (888) 941-4369
Phone: (360) 528-2345
Fax: (360) 528-2350

 

Snail Mail: 
Generation YES
2584 R.W. Johnson Blvd. SW
Olympia, WA 98512

We are open 9AM - 5:00 PM Pacific time on weekdays.

 

Team

 
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Dr. Dennis Harper, CEO and Founder

Dr. Dennis Harper is widely recognized as one of the world’s eminent leaders in the field of technology in education. He first began his work in instructional technology in 1967 at the secondary level in Los Angeles, Australia, Germany, Spain, and Liberia before completing his Ph.D. in International Education at the University of California in 1983.

Dennis has taught at the University of California Santa Barbara, Singapore’s Institute of Education, Finland's Helsinki University, and the University of the Virgin Islands where he established the Caribbean’s first university degree in educational computing and distance learning network. For the past 21 years, he has refined the Generation YES model of technology infusion.


Key Staff Members

The Generation YES staff is made up of students and teachers who have years of experience with real schools and classrooms. Not only are we dedicated to giving you the very best project-based learning management system and tech literacy certification for students, but we each use our unique skills, talents and perspectives to make our nonprofit grow.

Marc Turnbow Network Specialist

Marc Turnbow

Network Specialist

Victoria Bawn Customer Support Director

Victoria Bawn

Customer Support Director

Steve Hicks Deputy Director

Steve Hicks

Deputy Director

 

Board

 
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Generation YES is administered by a Board of Directors made up of experienced educators, students, and business executives. They meet bi-annually and plan where the nonprofit is going to go in the future.

Patrick Gill Chairman of the Board Patrick Gill spent 41 years as a teacher and administrator in public and private schools in the State of Washington and in the Marshall Islands. He taught in elementary, middle, and high schools, and at Washington State University. Dr. Gill spent the last 29 years of his career as an administrator with the Olympia School District. He retired in 2001 as deputy superintendent.

Patrick Gill

Chairman of the Board

Patrick Gill spent 41 years as a teacher and administrator in public and private schools in the State of Washington and in the Marshall Islands. He taught in elementary, middle, and high schools, and at Washington State University. Dr. Gill spent the last 29 years of his career as an administrator with the Olympia School District. He retired in 2001 as deputy superintendent.

Nick Lippert Former CEO of Physicians of SW Washington Nick Lippert has spent 31 years in health care administration. After graduating with an MHA he served in the USAF developing the foundation for an automated medical system for the Surgeons Generals. He has served in various capacities in hospital, physician and medical insurance groups. He is past president and a member of various health and private organizations.

Nick Lippert

Former CEO of Physicians of SW Washington

Nick Lippert has spent 31 years in health care administration. After graduating with an MHA he served in the USAF developing the foundation for an automated medical system for the Surgeons Generals. He has served in various capacities in hospital, physician and medical insurance groups. He is past president and a member of various health and private organizations.

Robert Miller Project Director Robert has a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from The Evergreen State College. He also has an Associates of Applied Science degree in Network Administration from South Puget Sound Community College. He has worked at Generation YES for ten years.

Robert Miller

Project Director

Robert has a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from The Evergreen State College. He also has an Associates of Applied Science degree in Network Administration from South Puget Sound Community College. He has worked at Generation YES for ten years.

Victoria Bawn Customer Support Director Victoria provides customer support for the U.S. and Canada. She is a certified trainer for Generation YES's workshops around the country. Victoria is also Generation YES's Senior Graphic Designer. For six years, she has created logos, brochures, flyers, posters, and other print media for Generation YES. Victoria specializes in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Muse, Illustrator, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.

Victoria Bawn

Customer Support Director

Victoria provides customer support for the U.S. and Canada. She is a certified trainer for Generation YES's workshops around the country. Victoria is also Generation YES's Senior Graphic Designer. For six years, she has created logos, brochures, flyers, posters, and other print media for Generation YES. Victoria specializes in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Muse, Illustrator, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers.

Adam Fletcher Youth Voice and Empowerment Specialist Adam has over a decade of experience working with educational programs serving youth in schools and communities. In seven years of classroom work, he has been an ELL tutor, experiential learning coordinator, and an independent service learning consultant. Adam is the director of several youth organizations.

Adam Fletcher

Youth Voice and Empowerment Specialist

Adam has over a decade of experience working with educational programs serving youth in schools and communities. In seven years of classroom work, he has been an ELL tutor, experiential learning coordinator, and an independent service learning consultant. Adam is the director of several youth organizations.

Dennis Harper CEO and Founder of Generation YES Dennis Harper has spent the past 35 years helping students, teachers, and schools throughout the world infuse technology to improve student learning. As a former high school teacher, university professor, district technology director, ISTE board member, researcher, speaker, and the CEO and founder of Generation YES, Dr. Harper works to empower youth through technology in schools, communities and the world.

Dennis Harper

CEO and Founder of Generation YES

Dennis Harper has spent the past 35 years helping students, teachers, and schools throughout the world infuse technology to improve student learning. As a former high school teacher, university professor, district technology director, ISTE board member, researcher, speaker, and the CEO and founder of Generation YES, Dr. Harper works to empower youth through technology in schools, communities and the world.

Denny Hurtado Former Skokomish Tribal Nation Chairman Denny Hurtado is the former Director of Indian Education for the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. In this role, he worked with all 29 tribes in the state and led the creation of curriculum geared towards elementary, middle and high school educators. He also presented workshops and trainings in Indian education, culturally responsive curriculum and professional development.

Denny Hurtado

Former Skokomish Tribal Nation Chairman

Denny Hurtado is the former Director of Indian Education for the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. In this role, he worked with all 29 tribes in the state and led the creation of curriculum geared towards elementary, middle and high school educators. He also presented workshops and trainings in Indian education, culturally responsive curriculum and professional development.

 

Advisory Board

 
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The Advisory Board contains students and educators from across the United States. These Advisors helped design, develop, and pilot test Generation YES materials from concept to completion. We thank them for their wisdom and knowledge about how to make project-based learning come to life!

Adora Svitak UC Berkeley Political Review Senior Opinion Editor

Adora Svitak

UC Berkeley Political Review Senior Opinion Editor

Bernice Stafford Consultant, Northwest Evaluation Association

Bernice Stafford

Consultant, Northwest Evaluation Association

Bonnie Bracey Sutton Teacher and Technology Consultant

Bonnie Bracey Sutton

Teacher and Technology Consultant

David Paulson President and CEO of Friluft Educational Technologies

David Paulson

President and CEO of Friluft Educational Technologies

Dr. David Thornburg Director of Education at Polar3D

Dr. David Thornburg

Director of Education at Polar3D

Dr. Gary Stager Publisher and CMFO at Constructing Modern Knowledge Press

Dr. Gary Stager

Publisher and CMFO at Constructing Modern Knowledge Press

Dr. Helen Soule Executive Director of Partnership for 21st Century Learning

Dr. Helen Soule

Executive Director of Partnership for 21st Century Learning

Dr. Jayne James Executive Director, INNOVATE

Dr. Jayne James

Executive Director, INNOVATE

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