Dave Long brings an unusually broad foundation to technology education — one shaped by backgrounds in philosophy, law, music, and software development that together produce an educator who thinks carefully about how people learn, not just what they need to learn. Since 2022, he has focused on software development and applied technology, building fluency across languages including Python, JavaScript, Go, and C, along with an understanding of web development, linux, and IT. He has also developed deep interests in robotics, electronics, AI, cybersecurity, and data science, along with traditional STEM disciplines like physics, math, and engineering.
At OpenHub, Dave serves as instructor and project manager for the Tech Academy program at Dutchess One Stop, where he guides adult learners through digital literacy, programming, web development, IT fundamentals, and data analysis. He simultaneously led and administered the Newburgh Creates STEAM summer camps in 2025 — an 8-week program for children ages 9–15 covering coding, robotics, electronics, 3D modeling, and design thinking — along with our follow-up after-school program. In the fall of 2025 and into 2026, Dave has also been coaching First Tech Challenge and First Lego League robotics teams.
Dave's pedagogical philosophy is well-suited to this initiative's long-term vision. He believes that foundational disciplines — mathematics, engineering, and physical science — have a durability that areas like cloud infrastructure and AI tools do not, and that all students are best served by building slow, steady foundations in these areas along with learning about and staying current with new trends in computing, IT, programming, and AI. This view shapes how he designs curriculum and how he trains others to teach: with patience, rigor, and the integration of science and math into every technical topic.
He holds a BA in Philosophy from Boston University and a JD from St. John's University School of Law along with various technology certifications.