TechTigers

Two students wearing 'Tech Tigers' t-shirts, smiling with their arms around each other's shoulders
 


TechTigers

Registration for 2025 TechTigers is now open!
This year’s program dates are:

July 26-31, 2025

Apply Now!

TechTigers is a week-long summer program for deaf or hard-of-hearing students entering 7th, 8th, or 9th grade who are interested in science, technology, engineering and math.

TechTigers gives middle school students a head start thinking about a career in STEM!

At TechTigers Program, students will:

  • Find out about chemistry, computers, engineering, science and more.
  • Meet other students who are interested in STEM.
  • Use high-tech lab equipment to solve problems.
  • Stay in RIT college residence halls.
  • Have fun!

About TechTigers

  • The cost is $850, which includes housing in a residence hall and food for the week.
  • Limited financial assistance is available based on financial need.
  • Program classes are taught in English and in sign language.
  • Parents are invited to opening and closing activities.
  • Certified by the New York State Department of Health.
  • The program incorporates National Science Education Standards.
  • Funded in part by the Motorola Solutions Foundation.


Motorola Solutions Foundation Logo

Program Activities*

The TechTigers daytime schedule for the week will take students to different locations and provide activities where they can:

  • Build a computer to take home
  • Have fun with chemistry in a state-of-the-art lab
  • Create a 3-D design and construct a product with computer assisted drafting

And in the evening, students will:

  • Enjoy recreational activities indoors and outdoors
  • Visit an amusement park
  • Socialize with other TechTigers campers
  • Learn what it’s like to be a student at RIT/NTID

*Activities are subject to change.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

TechTigers is a week-long summer program for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math and will be entering 7TH, 8TH or 9TH grade in the fall.
 

Students are eligible if:

  • They are entering 7TH, 8TH or 9TH grade in the fall.
  • They are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Students who previously attended TechTigers programs are not eligible to attend again.

Each day, students have fun with hands-on activities in a group of 40-55 other students and an instructor.

A typical day at TechTigers consists of:

  • Activities involving chemistry, math, engineering and science
  • Building a high-tech gadget
  • Learning the basics of web design
  • Conducting experiments in a state-of-the-art lab
  • Discovering what types of careers you may be interested in

After spending the day with other TechTigers in labs, classrooms and other hands-on activities, in the late afternoon and evening, students will participate in supervised group social activities such as:

  • Socializing and playing games with TechTigers campers
  • Enjoying recreational activities indoors and outdoors
  • Visiting an amusement park
  • Learning what it’s like to be a student at RIT/NTID

All the activities are supervised and allow students to have fun and make new friends at TechTigers!

July 26-31, 2025

To pay the $850 program fee for TechTigers, use the Online payment form or send a check to:

NTID TechTigers Program
Rochester Institute of Technology
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623

There are limited partial scholarships available based on your financial need. If you would like to apply for one, please make sure to complete the Financial Assistance form.

Please complete and submit the online application, then immediately after completing it, mail the official transcript, the unaided audiogram and the essay to the address in the Apply Now! section of this page.

When we have received your completed online application, required forms, and your payment, you will have a spot reserved for you in the program. 

To pay the $700 program fee for TechTigers, use the online payment form or send a check to:

NTID TechTigers Program
Rochester Institute of Technology
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623

You and a roommate will share a room on campus in one of the residence halls. This is a great way to get a taste of college living!

The dining hall is on campus, and there are vending machines and other places on campus to grab a snack if you get hungry between meals.

Arrive at the CSD Student Development Center (SDC), Building 55, first floor lobby area on the RIT campus between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm on the Saturday that the program starts. You can check in there.

If your parents are coming and plan to stay in Rochester, here is a list of hotels and a list of sights to see.

The program ends on July 31, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., the last day of your session.

You will need to check out of the residence hall and return your room key before you leave.

Parents get information about how to help you prepare for college and choose the right courses in high school.

Parents learn what colleges currently expect from high school graduates.

TechTigers participants present the results of their activities.

You and your family are responsible for arranging transportation to and from the program.

If you are flying, we recommend that you fly into the Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), not to the airport in Buffalo. Why? Even though the flight to Buffalo may cost less, Buffalo is at least an hour away, and the ground transportation from there to Rochester actually makes the trip more expensive. 

From the Rochester airport, train or bus station, shuttle transportation is available directly to RIT for $10.00 each way. Let us know if you want shuttle transportation, and we will make reservations for you.

See the directions page to our campus.

TechTigers activities are conducted by a team of counselors and RIT/NTID faculty and staff.

During their time on campus, the students are supervised and always accompanied by TechTigers counselors..

Travel Information

For parents who are staying in Rochester during TechTigers, here are some websites and pages with information about nearby sights and activities:

Most airlines require students to purchase assistance for unaccompanied minors.  Listed below are links to the major airlines' policies:

     American Airlines - https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/unaccompanied-min...
     Delta Airlines - https://pro.delta.com/content/agency/us/en/products-and-services/special...
     Southwest Airlines - https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/unaccompanied-min...
     United Airlines - https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/specialneeds/minors/defa...
     JetBlue Airlines - http://help.jetblue.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/webisapi.dll?New,Kb=askBlue,case=obj(675)

Apply Now!

Before you apply

You are eligible if:

  • you are entering 7th, 8th or 9th grade in Fall 2025.
  • you are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
  • If you have NOT previously attended a TechTigers program (or the former TechGirlz/TechBoyz programs).
Application Process

Complete the online application and click submit. 

Payment and Required forms

The program fee for TechTigers is $850.  Online payment form.  All required forms can be found below.

Required Forms

After filling out the online application, please download and complete the forms below. Return completed forms to the address below by May 15, 2025. You must make your payment online (link to the online form can be found in the section above) before that deadline, or you may send a check made payable to NTID along with the forms, if you prefer.

Please send completed forms to:
NTID TechTigers Program
Rochester Institute of Technology
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623

If you are unable to download the forms or if you have questions, please fill out our contact form, or get in touch with us by e-mail, or by phone at 585-475-7695 (voice) or 585-286-4555 (VP).

Fundraising Ideas

Teachers, students and parents often ask for fundraising ideas to help defray the costs of travel to or registration for competitions or camps.

Here are a few ideas for individual fundraising:

  • Offer services in neighborhood such as:
    • babysitting
    • yardwork
    • painting
    • or other labor intensive work

And if there are several students from your school coming to camp, here are some group fundraising ideas:

  • Check with a school counselor to inquire what other organizations at the school have done to fundraise.
  • Burger/Pizza Night Fundraising: ask a local franchise or restaurant to host a fundraising event on a particular date at a specific time. For example, if a parent of a student at the school owns a restaurant, they may allow you to hold a pancake breakfast fundraiser on a weekend morning.
  • Greeting card or calendar sale: students make and sell cards/calendars for special events.
  • Sell sweatshirts, t-shirts, jewelry, wristbands, or an assortment of those things with school mascot logo.
  • Sell cookie dough, popcorn, magazines, chocolate candy bars, carnations, candles.
  • Host a bake sale at school or church.
  • Have a car wash.

Google "student fundraising ideas" to see what kind of ideas you can discover. One great website example is: Fundraising Ideas

Contact Us

TechTigers
Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Lyndon Baines Johnson Building
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623-5604

585-475-7695 (voice)
585-286-4555 (videophone)

You can also contact us by email at TechTigers@rit.edu or use the form below.