Per Scholas graduates second all-women class

[dropcap style=”font-size: 48px; color: #3366CC;”]T[/dropcap]he Per Scholas Institute for Technology recently celebrated the graduation of the second all-women’s class in its history.

As of July 2012 our funder, Liz Claiborne, has been renamed the Fifth & Pacific Corporation. Their foundation’s website may be found here.

At a September 26, 2011, pinning ceremony in our South Bronx training center, 16 diverse women graduates proudly joined thousands of other Per Scholas alumni, having passed a rigorous 15-week training program that set them on the path to becoming certified IT professionals.

One of the chief guests of honor was Rebecca S. Callahan, Public Affairs Specialist at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who spoke movingly to the graduates about the unique challenges and opportunities facing women professionals in the IT world.

The Women’s Program at Per Scholas is a pilot effort funded by the Liz Claiborne Foundation. It offers a  tailored and supportive learning environment for women students who might not otherwise be able to attend Per Scholas, due to challenges like having to support and care for other family members. The program also works to enliven women’s interest in technology careers, preparing them to succeed and to lead in a field once practically reserved for men.

The Women’s Program is actively recruiting women IT professionals to volunteer in the program as mentors, guest lecturers and in other key roles. For more information, please contact Jessicah White:  [email protected].