Soaring to the Future: The 5th Annual Teen Tech Summit Draws 250+ Students to Franklin Field
More than 250 students gathered at Franklin Field for the 5th Annual Teen Tech Summit.
On July 17, 2025, more than 250 public middle and high school students took over Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. For one day, the football stadium became a massive, hands-on laboratory where students could explore advanced technology, work with industry professionals, and see new possibilities for their futures.
The event was the 5th Annual Teen Tech Summit, delivered through Grace3's Pilot Prodigies program. Students attended through community organizations including the Philadelphia Police Athletic League, the NOMO Foundation, and We Love Philly.
The event’s stated goal was clear: diversify the technology workforce by giving underrepresented youth direct access to advanced technology. Instead of limiting the experience to lectures or demonstrations, the program placed students in active roles. They took the controls, asked questions, tested equipment, and experienced technology in practical settings.
Three Hands-On Tracks
Pilot Prodigies focused on three areas that connect classroom learning with careers in technology and public safety.
Autonomous Drones
Students flew advanced autonomous drones and gained hands-on experience with technology used in public safety and enterprise environments. Working with real equipment gave participants a direct view of how aerial systems support situational awareness, operations, and decision-making.
Students moved from observation to direct experience at the controls.
The experience also made aviation and autonomy more accessible. Students could see how technical skills, focus, and problem-solving apply to emerging careers across the technology sector.
Tactical Robotics
Students interacted with ground robotics and equipment used by first responders. The demonstrations connected engineering and robotics to practical public safety needs, showing how autonomous systems can support professionals in complex operational environments.
Ground and aerial challenges put students in the operator's seat, with mentors cheering them on.
These activities provided more than a view of the equipment. They gave students an opportunity to understand how robotics can support public safety, improve operational efficiency, and expand the tools available to communities and agencies.
Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence
The third track introduced students to virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Participants explored immersive learning environments and foundational principles of AI, building an accessible starting point for understanding technologies that are shaping education, business, government, and public safety.
Students explored immersive and intelligent technologies up close.
Together, the three tracks demonstrated clear pathways from the classroom to high-demand careers. Pilot Prodigies presented technology as something students could understand, operate, and help shape.
A Network of Impact Partners
Pilot Prodigies depended on collaboration across technology, public safety, education, communications, and community organizations. Impact Partners brought technology, expertise, and commitment to the event.
They included Skydio, the Philadelphia Police Department, Verizon, Drone Cadets, Axon, PennGSE, LiveU, PoliceReports.ai, and JetSolutions.
Their participation gave students access to a broad view of the technology ecosystem. It also reinforced the importance of connecting young people with professionals and organizations working in the fields they may one day enter.
Legislative and community leaders also attended in support of the event. They included State Representative Jordan Harris, Appropriations Chair; Anthony Luker of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office; and Debora Carrera from the Mayor’s Office of Education.
Access Creates Opportunity
A stadium can hold a crowd. At the 5th Annual Teen Tech Summit, Franklin Field held a shared technology experience.
Students gathered on the field as the day's program got underway at Franklin Field.
Five years of the Teen Tech Summit have shown what equitable access to technology can look like in practice. It looks like 250 students receiving direct exposure to drones, robotics, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence at the same time. It looks like students from Philadelphia community organizations working with advanced tools in a setting designed to make technology practical and accessible.
It also looks like collaboration. Grace3 Technologies, its Impact Partners, educators, public safety professionals, and Philadelphia’s legislative and community leaders each contributed to the experience.
Pilot Prodigies underscored a shared commitment to equitable access and opportunity in the technology industry. When students are given the controls, they gain more than a demonstration. They gain experience, confidence, and a clearer view of the pathways available to them.
Learn more about Grace3 Technologies’ community impact programs.