This is the time of year for review and reminiscing. Enjoy this photo album of BridgingApps memories from 2025.
January: Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas
Amy Barry, Digital Marketing Lead, poses outside the Las Vegas Convention Center where CES 2025 was held. (Watch this blog for a report on CES 2026, coming soon!)
February: TCEA Convention in Austin
Tara Rocha, Digital Learning Specialist (above, top and bottom left) shares a collage of images from her trip to the Texas Computer Education Association’s (TCEA’s) annual education-tech convention. Tara led two convention workshops.
May: BridgingApps in Washington, DC
Cristen Reat, BridgingApps Program Director, stands on Capitol Hill. In May, BridgingApps representatives traveled to Washington, DC to meet with other Easterseals affiliates and with members of Congress, sharing stories of how our work impacts communities.
May: Net Inclusion Conference in Phoenix
BridgingApps sent delegates to the 2025 Net Inclusion Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Left to right: Alejandra “Ale” Gonzalez, Digital Navigator; Amy Fuchs, Program Manager; Tara Rocha. Net Inclusion is a program of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).
Ale, Tara, and Amy share dinner at Net Inclusion.
Tara’s “NDIA Phoenix” collage.
June: Technology for Early Learning Initiative
Amy Fuchs loads technology kits for families in under-served communities. The kits were distributed at digital-literacy training sessions.
BridgingApps loves demonstrating apps and accessibility features at community events. Left to right: Daryn Ofczarzak, Speech Language Pathologist; Amy Fuchs; Ale Gonzalez.
August: Abilities Expo Houston
Cristen Reat and Amy Fuchs man the Easter Seals Greater Houston table at Abilities Expo. The Expo convenes in different U.S. cities seven times a year, including Houston on the first weekend in August.
September: New School Year, New Digital-Literacy Classes
Tara Rocha and Ale Gonzalez prep laptops for distribution to clients. BridgingApps is always looking for opportunities to train more community members in digital literacy!
Tara Rocha (standing) leads a training session.
An iPad showing a digital communication board. We prepare and program devices so our clients can be supported 24/7!
October: Team Building Fun!
Every year, Easter Seals Greater Houston holds a sensory-friendly “Pumpkin Patch” where client families can enjoy safe and inclusive trick-or treating. Decorating is typically over the top! This year, BridgingApps’ team theme was “1980s arcade games.” Left to right: Ale Gonzalez; Amy Fuchs; Cristen Reat; Tara Rocha; Silvia Guajardo, Digital Skills Trainer.
Cristen demonstrates our “arcade games” theme. Remember classic Galaga (left), Frogger (right), and Donkey Kong (not shown)?
December: Season of Giving
BridgingApps’ gifts for our “holiday adoption” family (mom and four kids).
Year Round: Just Between Us
Besides working at events and with clients, the BridgingApps team enjoys “just hanging out” together.
“Ramune” (rah-MOO-nay) is Japanese for “lemonade.” “Ramune” is also the brand name for a Japanese soda that comes in lemon-lime, among other flavors. Bottles have a marble stopper in the neck, and a plunger to push the marble into the bottle and start things fizzing. Above, BridgingApps team members try out Ramune. Back row, left to right: Ale Gonzalez; Daryn Ofczarzak; Tara Rocha. Front row, left to right: Cristen Reat; Amy Fuchs; Silvia Guajardo.
Sharing lunch outdoors on a Houston-warm December day. Left, front to back: Amy Fuchs; Cristen Reat; Katherine Swarts, Digital Content Writer. Right, front to back: Silvia Guajardo; Daryn Ofczarzak; Ale Gonzalez.