ROCKLAND POST DESK
When you think “big tech,” your mind probably drifts to Silicon Valley — shiny campuses, self-driving scooters, free kombucha — not Pearl River, Orangeburg, or Nyack. But Rockland County has quietly been building its own tech ecosystem. It’s a mix of high-powered data centers, local colleges, ambitious high school robotics clubs… and just enough suburban charm to keep the rest of us entertained. From Office Parks to Data Jungles
It all started back in the 1970s, when Blue Hill Plaza in Pearl River opened its doors. Picture a sleek office complex in the suburbs — perfect for accountants, lawyers… and apparently, future tech infrastructure. Reliable power, high-capacity fiber, and a parking lot that could double as a Formula 1 pit lane made it irresistible to companies that needed uptime more than espresso shots.
By the 2010s, this unassuming office park was hosting Bloomberg’s massive data center, costing somewhere between “OMG that’s a lot” and “let’s hope taxpayers approve this.” Suddenly, Rockland was a backstage player in the global tech scene, quietly processing financial data while we all fussed over traffic on the Palisades Parkway.
Orangeburg, in particular, has become a data center cluster, hosting Bloomberg, JPMorgan Chase, DataBank, and other tech infrastructure that makes the internet hum. These are the places where the cloud lives — giant humming warehouses that somehow survived suburban zoning hearings and neighborhood watch groups. K‑12 Education: Elementary, Middle, and High Schools
Rockland County’s youngest tech enthusiasts start their journey in local schools.
Elementary Schools
Pros: Early exposure to coding basics, robotics clubs, and “tech play” programs like Lego robotics and basic STEM experiments. Encourages problem-solving, curiosity, and early comfort with computers.
Cons: Limited depth — mostly introductory programs. Heavy reliance on teacher interest and volunteer support; kids often get a taste but not full mastery.
Middle Schools
Pros: Advanced STEM electives, computer labs, robotics competitions, coding clubs, and sometimes AI basics. Builds stronger problem-solving and collaboration skills.
Cons: Programs vary widely by district; some schools have excellent labs, others are constrained by budget or outdated equipment.
High Schools
Pros: AP Computer Science, robotics competitions, hackathons, coding electives, cybersecurity clubs, and introductory AI programs. Students can start building real portfolios and competing regionally or nationally.
Cons: Participation can be limited by scheduling conflicts or lack of specialized teachers. Schools with fewer resources may have tech programs only for select students.
Local high schools like Nyack, Pearl River, and Clarkstown provide students exposure to robotics, coding, AI basics, and advanced STEM projects, sometimes competing in national events. These programs give students a glimpse of college-level tech and even the workforce. Academia: Making Nerds Cool Since… Well, Never
Rockland County might not have Stanford, but it has Rockland Community College (RCC) in Suffern, turning out the next generation of IT wizards, cybersecurity specialists, and people who know how to keep Bloomberg’s servers from catching fire. Students get hands-on experience through internships with local data centers, learning skills that could one day make them millionaires — or at least help them debug a Wi-Fi outage at home.
RCC has also embraced AI, machine learning, and data analytics programs, giving students experience in the cutting-edge technology that powers modern finance, healthcare, and even your favorite streaming recommendations.
Then there’s Saint Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) in Sparkill, teaching management information systems, cybersecurity, and AI-driven business analytics with a side of “we promise you’ll get a job after graduation.”
Special mention goes to P-TECH Hudson Valley, where students can earn high school diplomas and college credits while learning tech skills, including foundations of AI, programming, and advanced computing. It’s basically multitasking on steroids, supplying the local tech workforce with a steady stream of nerds… sorry, I mean talented young professionals.
Rockland BOCES also plays a role, offering IT, networking, electronics, and AI programs that prepare students for careers in tech and keep local businesses supplied with skilled talent.
Pros of College Programs: Strong industry partnerships, internships, hands-on AI and tech experience, and flexible paths into tech careers.
Cons: Limited local options for cutting-edge research compared to major metro universities; smaller campuses mean fewer resources and labs than Silicon Valley schools. The Suburban Tech Pipeline
Here’s the picture: Orangeburg hums with data centers, RCC churns out tech-savvy grads, high schools prep future programmers, and even elementary schools plant the first seeds of curiosity. Local IT firms, consulting services, and smaller tech companies ride the coattails of this ecosystem, proving that Rockland isn’t just a bedroom community — it’s a place where the cloud literally has a home.
Academic programs, corporate internships, AI courses, and workforce training create a pipeline from classroom to server room, keeping Rockland’s tech scene alive and humming. The Takeaway
Rockland County’s tech story isn’t about flashy gadgets or billionaire CEOs sipping matcha lattes. It’s about data centers buzzing quietly in Orangeburg, students in Nyack coding robots (and tinkering with AI that might one day outsmart Wall Street), and colleges prepping the next generation of tech-savvy suburbanites.
And hey, if the internet goes down tomorrow, just remember: somewhere in Rockland, a kid from Pearl River High School is already learning how to fix it — probably with a robot assistant and a neural network they built themselves.