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The Appleton Youth Education Initiative (AYEI), organizer of HackAppleton and the Philharmonic Ventures, is an American private foundation founded by Ivan Fan. Based in Appleton, Wisconsin, it was launched in 2009. The primary stated mission of the foundation is to enable student-led development of innovative educational programs dedicated to preparing students for the opportunities and challenges of life after graduation. AYEI enjoys the strong support of an advisory board made of up leaders in business, non-profits, technology, and education, and its day-to-day operations are managed by top student leaders.

In 2022, AYEI’s financial and organizing partners included Microsoft, Plexus, Stellar Blue Technologies, Schneider National, Forefront Dermatology, The NEW Dermatology Group, and The Academy of Martial Arts.

Since its founding, the foundation has designed and executed a broad range of innovative educational initiatives, including the establishment of the Genuine Comprehension Initiative at Lawrence University.

History
In 2009, the foundation was founded by Ivan Fan. Through its initial years running, the organization started out by preparing students for college with test prep classes and other services aimed at helping people reach goals in higher education. In 2018, AYEI expanded its outreach by launching HackAppleton, an international coding competition for students. Over the last few years, AYEI's outreach has continued to grow, with projects including Philharmonic Ventures and the Appleton Tech Clinic.

HackAppleton
HackAppleton is the first computer science competition of its kind and scale in Northeastern Wisconsin. Microsoft Philanthropies has supported the HackAppleton competition since the program's inception in 2018, when Microsoft Vice Chair and Appleton native Brad Smith (American lawyer) announced the company’s philanthropic partnership with AYEI. Microsoft has consistently prioritized making innovation in the service sector more inclusive to current day economic growth around the country. A variety of Microsoft initiatives, including TechSpark, TEALS, and TitleTown Tech, a joint venture between the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft, are focused on the advancement of innovation and economic growth in the Northeastern Wisconsin region. In 2021, HackAppleton drew approximately 100 students from 17 different high and middle schools from multiple states as well as Canada and Asia. In 2022, the student organizers announced two themes for the competition: the development of technologies supporting the space resources industry and pandemic preparation. AYEI hosted its fifth annual “HackAppleton” computer science competition in September 2022.

Microsoft Philanthropies partnership
In 2018, Brad Smith (American lawyer) announced a partnership between AYEI and Microsoft Philanthropies to organize HackAppleton and collaborate on efforts to foster STEM educational opportunities in Northeastern Wisconsin and beyond.