As the nation confronts the systemic racism that can no longer be ignored following the police killing of George Floyd, there is a unified urgency that something must be done to address racial injustices across our country. We at Per Scholas are continuing to champion the fight to impact real change towards equality of access to economic opportunity that has often been touted in this country but has never fully been actualized in black and brown communities.

We are observing this moment in time as an opportunity to assess our impact, examine how we are addressing the reality of racial inequality and economic equity to bring positive, lifelong change in communities across the country. This month, we have engaged in some challenging yet worthy conversations to help us to better support our students, staff, and alumni and to ensure that this work is ongoing:

• Reflections on George Floyd: Letter from Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala addressed to students and alumni regarding his thoughts on the wrongful death of George Floyd, encouraging them “to consider Per Scholas as a safe place to start dialogues about what is happening” (read more);
• Inclusion by Intention (IxI): a quarterly organization-wide initiative that aims to provide a safe, inclusive space for staff to discuss ongoing issues around race and social justice. A powerful, open panel discussion led by both national and local team leaders to envision ways the organization can best equip staff with the appropriate education, resources, and training needed to support students, alumni, and one another. Literary resources included White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo and Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis;
• In Recognition of Juneteenth (Letter From Per Scholas President and CEO): Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala and the Per Scholas Leadership Team announced their solidarity to recognize Juneteenth as an annual Per Scholas holiday. Members of the Per Scholas community were encouraged “to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans, while also reflecting and learning about the continued steps needed to support racial equality in this county” (read more).

We approach this ongoing discussion and reflection by all of us here at Per Scholas with hope and a determination to continue to fight the good fight. Thank you for your support and commitment.

4.6.2020

Per Scholas Philly Students and Alumni,

As we all band together to work through this challenging time, please use this page as a reference guide for supportive opportunities in the Philly community. All of the items here are publicly available resources, not offered by Per Scholas, that you may tap into if applicable. It is your responsibility to read the fine print, do your research and understand the opportunities available.

We know that as Per Scholas students and alumni, you are dedicated to building skills, providing for your family and loved ones and establishing yourselves in fulfilling careers, and we’re dedicated to providing the support you need to facilitate your success during this time.

Internet Access

As you get comfortable with the remote learning and working environment, we wanted to make you aware of the Federal Communication Commission’s newly adopted Keep Americans Connected Pledge. Over 70 companies including the big four wireless carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) and internet service providers Comcast and Google Fiber have committed to maintaining service and waiving late fees for the next 60 days.

They are also opening additional free WiFi hotspots across the country. More information can be found on the FCC’s website.

Additionally Spectrum is offering opportunities for families to get free WiFi hotspots to help you stay connected.

Comcast has also released an update regarding free Xfinity hotspots and other changes to their policies to support Americans during this time.

In addition, we have rapidly deployed technology to our students, including laptops, webcams and portable wifis. If you still do not feel that you have the technology or connection needed to be successful during this time, please reach out to [email protected].

Housing: Rent, eviction and foreclosure support for residents

Pa.’s highest court says no evictions allowed in April as coronavirus shutdowns lead to record unemployment

Food Security

Where to find free, nutritious food during COVID-19

Many Philadelphians are in need of free food due to school closures, loss of income, or other challenges caused by COVID-19. In response to this need, City of Philadelphia and partners have developed two ways for residents to find free food.

Supporting Your Neighbors

Volunteer Match

“As the world leader in volunteerism, we feel a responsibility to unite our broader community–to use this moment to learn from one another, to grow, and to become stronger. We invite you to visit our resource hub and explore the growing network of #COVID-19 and virtual volunteering opportunities for practical actions you can take today to support your community.”

Remote Work

Working from home: Has coronavirus shown that remote work is the future?

Per Scholas staff have been working closely together to support this transition to remote work and learning and if you have any questions please reach out directly to [email protected].

With respect, appreciation, and care,

Bezawit Mane

Site Director, Per Scholas Philadelphia

Overnight the world moved in-person operations to online and virtual interfacing. For many organizations and companies, the COVID-19 pandemic became a daunting task to shift day-to-day operations to virtual environments, determining which conference platform to use, and delivering the same quality of service to a target audience.

Per Scholas’ success, transitioning over 500 students and 200 staff members to a remote work structure in less than two weeks, took leadership, staff-creativity, and a twenty-five-year model built on the belief that agility and innovation are critical elements to succeed.

Leveraging Technology in Crisis

In December of 2019, Per Scholas began testing its latest blended learning training model. In this environment, two in-person classrooms are connected remotely and taught by an instructor who is physically present in one class and instructs another using remote learning technology.

As COVID-19 began spreading across the United States, Per Scholas leveraged this technology to quickly transition all in-person classes across 12 national sites to remote learning environments. Spearheaded by Senior Director of Program Development and Design, Eduardo Hernandez, the effort took the collaborative work of more than one-hundred instructors, technologists, curriculum designers, coaches, and staff. At the end of the first full-week of remote training, Per Scholas CEO and President, Plinio Ayala, commented, “we are quickly building new processes and systems to support all of our activities, virtual admissions, remote learning and support for our employer partners and community network. If there’s one thing that is at the core of the Per Scholas model it is human connection, and we are prioritizing that in this transition. Technology won’t work without it, and we don’t either.”

Prioritizing the student experience during this transition was important. Resources such as a student user guide and custom videos were created to help students and instructors leverage the learning management system and adjust to the new remote environment. “We have been doing remote learning for a while, at least a form of it, and we’ve been able to leverage this technology to support all of our students and their learning during this time,” said Magnardo Tavarez, Director of Program Innovation at Per Scholas, one of the senior staff overseeing the transition. Communications to Per Scholas partners, current students, and alumni were sent out via email and an ongoing web page providing updates to prospective applicants and currently enrolled students were created concerning operations during this time.

Overcoming Barriers to Remote Learning

Students who enroll in Per Scholas commit to learning every day, Monday-Friday, for seven hours of instruction, including breaks throughout the day. Students have designated workstations throughout their training and engage in hands-on activities as part of their curriculum. With the shift to remote learning, students and staff members needed to quickly adapt to new norms such as working and learning from home, which for some, current living circumstances or home environments might not be as accommodating. Other matters such as lack of access to a personal computer and internet also presented themselves as challenges.

To address the latter concern, a Loaner Program was established to provide technical hardware and equipment to all Per Scholas students and staff. Participants signed off to receive a laptop and/or MiFi device, which was on loan for the duration of their course. Video conferencing for instruction is a daily concern due to the large amounts of traffic to Zoom or Google Hangout servers. In the event of delays or connectivity issues, instructors prepared reading materials and hands-on assignments in advance so that student learning was not interrupted.

Corporate volunteerism was able to carry one with employer partners, such as TEKsystems, who conducted their sessions via video conferencing. One technical recruiter noted how appreciated and attentive the students were. “They made it feel like a normal class which was awesome. It felt rewarding and exciting to be in a position of guidance for those who could really use it. I [also] learned that I am able to be just as effective remotely.”

Students have adapted to the remote learning rather quickly and have continued building community during this transition. “We’ve reached a new level of friendship where we are not just classmates anymore,” states Diliana, a Per Scholas New York student in Network Support. “We’ve seen each other’s houses, helped each other with Zoom and WebEx, and talk to one another every day on Slack.”

The Future of Remote at Per Scholas

“Transitioning to a full-on remote operation for our training was already on my to-do list. I was already planning out a nice roll-out plan to support this process. However, the Coronavirus decided to speed up our timeline,” Magnardo chuckles.

The ability to pivot during tough times such as the one we find ourselves in now, including identifying best practices in a climate that has yet to settle itself, screams dystopian in the making. But it’s during these times, however, that Magnardo and his team are able to consider various projections, scenarios, and outcomes and identify familiarity within the uncertainty.

“[During this time], we saw our challenges, and what we needed to create to do this correctly. We can capitalize on this time to assess or update our existing operations so that we are ready for moments such as this.”