West Sound Technology Association (WSTA)

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Q: I see more West Sound CoderDojo events. Did WSTA go away?

A: No. We're still here. West Sound Technology Professionals Association (WSTPA) was formed in 2000 to help foster a vibrant local technology sector in the West Puget Sound region. We held hundreds of meetings on tech topics - databases, website and mobile development, communications, social media, marketing, Microsoft tech, Linux, the list goes on. Since our audience was always a mix of the tech, business, education, government, and nonprofit communities, we changed our name in 2008 to simply West Sound Technology Association.

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Recognizing the fundamental need for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) talent, CoderDojo was identified in 2015 by our strategic advisor, former president, and co-founding member Doña Keating as an initiative that could make the greatest and quickest impact, hopefully reaching all kids ages 7-18 to spark their interest in computer programming, problem-solving, computational thinking, leadership, collaborative peer-to-peer learning -- and to connect them with mentors. She founded  West Sound CoderDojo (WSCD) in March 2015 and WSTA became co-founding partners, holding our first coderdojo that May. Our events are now all ages and we host 30+ events each year.

 

Several WSTA board members announced their desire to retire at the end of 2016, and we saw this as an opportunity to re-evaluate our mission and focus. The unanimous decision was to act as a foundation as of 2017, and continue to support technology and education via our WSCD and other efforts. We are also encouraging other organizations to promote the tech sector through its mission activities. 

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Q: Do you still offer paid memberships?

A: No. Memberships helped fund WSTPA/WSTA operations and, while we will still need financial support to sustain WSTPA/WSCD, this is now funded by sponsorships and donations. 

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Q: What about sponsorships?

A: Yes! We welcome both corporate and individual donations and sponsorships. Donations for $250 and above will receive special recognition. Sponsorships are promoted on this site, in email communications, and across our social media channels.

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Q: Will you still have business and peer-to-peer networking?

A: Possibly. We used to host West Sound Techies, Kitsap Women in Tech, or Island Coders meetups but discontinued. When COVID and the shutdowns hit in March 2020, we shifted WSCD to Zoom and paused on in-person events. Our partnerships with like-minded entities on virtual events have steadily increased. We've started to discuss hosting virtual business/tech meetings of our own.

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Q: What about topics other than coding?

A: We agree that tech is not just about programming. If something is of interest to you, ping us and we'll talk about it.

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Q: Who is running the WSTA now?

A: Charles Keating President and Treasurer, Tim Duffey Vice-President, William (Bill) Huckabee Secretary.  We are always seeking more to help with the mission of WSTA so if you're interested - reach out.

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Q: How can I make a donation or volunteer?

A: Your donations are welcome here, or mail checks to West Sound Technology Association, P.O. Box 1102, Silverdale WA 98383​.