Get Ready for Our Most Impactful Season Yet🚀NGT360’s 10th Year!

2024-2025 Season Highlights:

The NGT360 Journey
Over five months, teams (3-5 members) will create, refine, and launch a product. Students will attend industry events, collaborate with mentors, and compete for $15,000 in prizes. The first-place team wins $10,000 plus a 30-minute pitch session with Kevin Harrington, an original shark from the TV series Shark Tank!

Special for this season: The winning team also secures an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to be showcased nationally and present at the prestigious Wawability event in July 2025 with the opportunity to earn additional sponsorship! Learn more

2024-2025 Program Highlights

• Accelerated 5-Month Cohort - Experience our dynamic hybrid program, with six interactive in person workshops combined with virtual components to maximize your entrepreneurial journey.  Kick-off is December 14th! 
• Innovative Program Theme: "Differently Abled" - This season, each team will develop a technology-driven product or business that has at least one component that enhances accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
• Who Should Apply? We're looking for motivated and coachable HS students eager to transform ideas into reality and dive into the world of entrepreneurship. 
• Real-World Fundraising Experience With a program valued at over $10,000, participants will work with mentors to fundraise a $500 participation fee, developing critical skills in the process. A $100 registration deposit is required for each participant but fully refundable upon meeting your goal!
  • Mini Shark Pitches for Funding - At each workshop, teams will have the opportunity to pitch to a panel of “mini sharks,” earning additional funds to earn towards their fundraising goal.
• Locations:
  • Kick-Off: One Urban Centre, 4830 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609
  • Workshops: Various businesses across Pinellas and Tampa, giving you a closer look at our business community!

CONNECT-IT 360 - Connect-IT 360 is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization focused on bridging the skill gap between education and business. With its award-winning program, “Next Gen Tech 360”, we are looking to develop and grow communities across the country to prepare our youth to succeed in the new economy.

NEXT GEN TECH 360 (NGT360) - NGT360’s focus is to teach the next generation essential skills to be prepared for the workforce by providing expertise from business community mentors teaching students’ industry best-demonstrated practices. Next Gen Tech 360 formally known as, “Next Generation Tech” out of the the Pinellas Education Foundation, has extended into the Tampa Bay and is now in its 10th season providing this unique proven program.

NGT360 BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS – NGT360 Business Mentors, Speakers, and Judges represent diversified business verticals and job domains across the Tampa Bay area to provide a well-rounded understanding of the world of Technology and Entrepreneurship for students.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT - Anyone associated with the CONNECT-IT 360 subsidiary; event or program is expected to:

Behave in a mature and respectful way that emphasizes the value of others and respects individuals and the community.
Ensure the safety of all participants by following established protocols at all our events and programs.
Refrain from any acts of bullying, harassment, profane or insulting language, or any form of actual, threatened or implied violence.
Report any unsafe or threatening conduct to organizers or other relevant program supervisors.
Anyone in violation of our Code of Conduct may be asked to leave an event or the program.
Connect-IT 360 is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of professionalism, diversity, and inclusion in all our programs. We embrace and encourage differences in race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, income, or any other characteristics that make our program participants unique. Our Next Gen Tech 360 program is guided by the enclosed Code of Conduct, by which all participants, from adults to students, as well as volunteers, speakers, and judges, are expected to abide.

CONNECT-IT 360 agrees to the participation of the individual who has signed up to be involved in the Next Gen Tech 360 program as a participant, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. In this Agreement, “we” or “us” means CONNECT-IT 360, and “you” or “I” means the Participant and his/her Parent/Guardian.

Consent, Waiver of Liability & Media Release:

I hereby certify that I am 18 years or older and the parent/legal guardian of the above named participant and do hereby give my consent without reservation to the foregoing on behalf of My Child. By signing and submitting this for   I, the Parent or Guardian of the above student, agree to release Connect-IT 360 (“CI360”), and their agents the absolute right and permission of the following:

Liability & Media Release:

CONSENT - The undersigned, consents and fully accepts and assume all risks and opportunities associated with their student participating in the Next Gen Tech 360 program, events and/or activities and assumes all responsibility for any loss, liability, damage or expense, whenever arising or discovered, and for any claim or demand on account of, or relating to any loss or damage (of whatever extent or nature)

FUNDRAISING REQUIREMENT - The undersigned, consents and fully accepts that there is a $500 fee for participation in the program. The undersigned is responsible as part of the program curriculum to fundraise these funds to meet this requirement. I acknowledge this is a requirement for the undersigned's participation no matter their outcome in the competition. I acknowledge that this commitment must be met to be considered for finalists selection to compete for the $15k in awards.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY - The undersigned, individually hereby releases, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue Connect-IT 360, their administrators, directors, officers, agents, volunteers and employees and any other participants in the Next Gen Tech 360 programs and activities (the “Releasees”) from any liability, claims, demands, losses or damages to the undersigned however incurred or alleged to be incurred and hereby agree to indemnify the Releasees against any liability, claim, demand, loss or damage (of whatever extent or nature) on account thereof.

MEDIA RELEASE - The undersigned also hereby gives permission to Connect-IT 360 to take photographs and videos of the undersigned while their student is engaging in the Next Gen Tech 360’s workshops, events and/or activities and grant the right to edit, use and re-use said products for any and all educational, public service, or not-for-profit purposes selected by Connect-IT 360, Next Gen Tech 360 or our partner organizations. The undersign releases any and all rights, in said photographs, videos, website productions, finished pictures, reproductions or of the same in connection with such uses.The provisions of this paragraph will survive termination of this agreement. understand that pursuant to Section 540.08 and Section 1002.22, Florida Statutes, written consent is required before using any student’s name or likeness in the above described manner. By signing below, I grant consent pursuant to Section 540.08(1) and Section 1022.22(3d) I understand I may rescind this consent in writing, but unless I do so it will remain in effect.

Parent/Guardian Signature and Acknowledgement for the Next Gen Tech 360 Program:

The undersigned known as the Parent/Guardian of the participant who is an applicant in the Next Gen Tech 360 program.

Student Signature and Acknowledgement for the Next Gen Tech 360 Program:

As the student participant (the applicant) agree to follow the code of conduct and commit to the compliance of the Next Gen Tech 360 program policies to participate and finish as a finalist.