Per Scholas Named 2021 Nicholas Kristof Holiday Impact Prize Honoree
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The Right Career Changes Everything
Per Scholas is proud to be among this year’s honorees for Nicholas Kristof’s Holiday Impact Prize. Since 2009, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has written an annual “holiday gift guide” column to bridge a philanthropic gap: readers who wanted to help but didn’t know how, and heroic individuals and organizations who desperately needed resources but were off donors’ radar. The column has helped raise the profiles of organizations that work on the very issues he covers in his journalism – health, education, human rights and women’s rights, both domestically and abroad.
Contributions to Per Scholas will support our mission to advance economic equity by building a more diverse and inclusive technology workforce. We create access to high-growth careers for our learners by working directly with employers to design training to meet high-demand jobs in Information Technology (IT), Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Cloud Computing, and more – and then offer this training completely tuition-free to adults seeking to launch careers in technology. We combine hands-on technical instruction with business professional development, supporting our learners for the duration of their 12 to 15 week training and beyond. Nine in ten of our learners are people of color and more than a third identify as women. Every day, we’re helping close equity gaps and create opportunities across America.
While learning about Per Scholas, former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof reflected, “Per Scholas is an opportunity machine here in the United States. It breaks down barriers in the tech industry, one graduate at a time. It’s a tuition-free program that trains participants—mostly people of color— for the tech jobs of the future. Four out of five graduates land a job within a year of completing the programing, earning far higher incomes and transforming their futures while also supporting the economy. This is one of the best escalators toward social mobility in America.” Read more in his Washington Post column here.
Donations will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $2.0M, thanks to generous individuals from Jane Street.
*Please note that while we always appreciate your donation, this matching gift opportunity has now expired.

About Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility across America for more than 25 years. Through rigorous tuition-free training, professional development, and robust employer connections, Per Scholas prepares individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. We partner with leading employers to build more diverse talent pools, directly connecting our graduates to career opportunities at businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups.
With campuses in 17 cities, more than 15,000 learners have graduated from one of our training tracks and have started their career in tech. On average, our graduates earn four times their pre-training wage in their first job after Per Scholas.
Every dollar donated to Per Scholas generates an $8 net economic return.
For questions about making a donation, or if you require assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Email: [email protected] | Phone: (718) 536-2681
Checks, made payable to Per Scholas can be mailed to:
Per Scholas
Attn: Fiscal
804 E 138th Street #2
Bronx, New York 10454
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