On May 25th, Red Nose Day returns for its 9th official year, and Per Scholas is excited and honored to have been selected as one of this year’s grantee partners! Red Nose Day is an annual fundraising event held by Comic Relief US that seeks to raise life-changing funds to help end the cycle of poverty and ensure children are safe, healthy, educated, and empowered across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 2015, the campaign has taken a multifaceted approach to tackling both the consequences and root causes of child poverty, focusing on the four pillars of health, safety, education and empowerment. In addition to trying to remove systemic barriers, Red Nose Day-funded programs also strive to provide long-term solutions that set children up for a lifetime of success.

As such, Red Nose Day funds transformative programs from 50 trailblazing organizations, large and small, in the U.S. and globally, that exhibit “expertise in implementing community-led solutions to ensure that all children thrive and have access to a healthy future.” 

Per Scholas was one of the 50 organizations selected this year, recognized for its work in using the power of education to transform lives, empower communities, and end cycles of poverty. Per Scholas helps prepare our learners, many of whom are youth or have children, to launch life-changing careers in technology by participating in our rigorous, cost-free tech skills training.

One such learner who launched a thriving career through Per Scholas training is Jadah Stone, a young New Yorker who was always interested in tech but, upon graduating high school, was not sure how to get started in the field. “I had a broad idea of what IT was, and I had a broad idea of what tech was,” Jadah said of herself at the time. “I knew that I wanted to do it, but I wasn’t really sure how to break into the field and how to really solidify myself academically. Per Scholas was instrumental in providing that structure and a clear path… it was also really motivational in helping me stay on track because they gave me a way to envision what my life could be like after all the hard work paid off.” 

After graduating, Jadah successfully launched her career in tech, working first in Application Support at Mitchell Martin, then as an IT Support Specialist at Casper alongside a few other Per Scholas alumni. She now works as a Systems Engineer at Sachs Cloud Services, a position she greatly enjoys.

Jadah loves her work and plans to continue learning and growing within the tech field for the rest of her life. “I want to say thank you to Per Scholas for helping me to solidify the foundations of becoming a person who is able to be successful in the tech world,” Jadah said. “And thank you to Per Scholas for providing really amazing resources for people that might not have otherwise been able to have an opportunity like this.”

Last year’s Red Nose Day had a record-breaking year, raising over $50 million. “This year, Comic Relief US is building on the momentum of our most successful fundraising year ever in 2022 by broadening our transformative community of grantee partners and increasing funding for programs addressing ongoing social inequities,” said Alison Moore, CEO of Comic Relief US. “It’s an honor to help these organizations become even bigger changemakers in the lives of the children and young people they serve in the communities most impacted, and we are so grateful for our partners and the millions of people who support Red Nose Day, allowing us to invest in organizations and social impact programs that help build healthy lives and futures that all children deserve.”

Supporters can buy the campaign’s signature Red Nose exclusively at nearly 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade locations for just $1 each and can also donate in stores via pin-pad at checkout. Donning the red nose is a great way to celebrate the campaign’s annual tradition, and 100% of proceeds directly benefit Red Nose Day, helping to make a real difference in the lives of underserved children in America and around the world. 

Per Scholas is thrilled to announce that we have received Tenth Revolution’s Digital Revolution Award for Excellence in Learning and Development! The Digital Revolution Awards was founded in 2020 to applaud excellence across the global cloud tech ecosystem, and we are proud to join past recipients to drive excellence in learning and development in the tech industry.

We are honored to be among the recipients of the various categories for the Digital Revolution Awards and are grateful for our partnerships that encourage our growth and trainings’ development.

Read more about the awards and winners here!

We are thrilled to announce that Per Scholas was awarded funding from Comcast Corporation for creating a more inclusive workforce and economy! Per Scholas is one of nine recipients awarded from the over $25 million grant.

“We can only successfully change the face of tech – and strengthen the future of our economy – if we successfully find ways to help every worker unlock his or her potential,” said Per Scholas President & CEO. “Comcast recognizes how critical this mission is, and by working together, we can create the opportunities that empower job seekers to become what they envision, to realize their every possibility, and succeed in the workforce of today – and tomorrow.”

Comcast’s funding will empower more than 10,000 adult learners to launch tech careers over the next three years, unlocking their potential as technologists.

Read the full press release here.

Last week, Per Scholas Seattle launched its very first in-person cohort! Noting the high, organic demand for web development and programming courses in the Seattle area, the campus decided to offer Software Engineering as its first in-person course. 

The course, which is still currently offered online, will prepare learners for a career in the technology industry as “an adept developer with a ready-to-present professional portfolio to share with potential employers,” and will cover areas of Web Development, App Development, and many more.

“Many of our learners have very little training in coding,” said Per Scholas Seattle’s Managing Director, Brian McRae. “Most of them know the basics such as HTML and CSS. Our curriculum will expand their knowledge of front-end frameworks and introduce them to back-end frameworks such as Mongoose, Express.js, Node.js, REACT and more. With both individual and group projects in the curriculum, our learners will build very substantial technical portfolios to demonstrate their job ready competencies to prospective employers.”  

Seattle’s first person cohort is an incredibly diverse one. Of the 17 registered learners, 29% identify as female, and 82% are people of color. Of the learners who identify as Caucasian, all are immigrants from either Russia or Ukraine, and others in the course hail from Morocco and Ethiopia. 35% of the learners possess only a high school diploma or GED, while the remaining 65% have earned more advanced degrees. The average learner age is 30.

The Seattle campus held its Kick-Off for the first in-person class at its new site on March 27th. We are so excited to see how the cohort progresses!

“I am absolutely thrilled that Per Scholas Seattle is finally at the point where we can offer our classes in-person,” McRae reflected on the campus’ opening. “This is a significant milestone for us. When we first began offering classes here in the Puget Sound area, we were limited to only remote classes mainly due to the pandemic. Now that things have begun to open back up, we can now focus on our traditional model of on-premise training, enabling our learners to experience this curriculum the way it was originally designed.  

“These 17 learners, while coming from very diverse populations, have already begun to develop cohesive, productive relationships with one another. They help each other grow and develop, and each leverages their strengths to collectively uplift each other together. It’s remarkable to see this level of camaraderie at such an early stage – so much so that I cannot wait to see the end result.”

This month, Per Scholas launched our 21st  campus in Los Angeles! We are thrilled to open a new campus on the west coast as we continue to expand our reach to unlock potential for learners across the nation. Leading Per Scholas Los Angeles is Managing Director Patrice Madu, who grew up in the Burbank area.

To celebrate our newest campus, Per Scholas Los Angeles hosted a welcome breakfast. The event was emceed by Chelsea Clarke, Senior Director of National Expansion at Per Scholas, and included formal remarks from Jason Cordova, Program Manager at The James Irvine Foundation, Carolyn Hull, General Manager of Economic and Workforce Development Department at the City of Los Angeles, Jasmine Miller, Chief Training Officer at Per Scholas, and Emilio Lopez, Per Scholas Alumni and Per Scholas Los Angeles Instructor. Attendees included Per Scholas partners and Los Angeles community leaders.

“The demand for tech talent right here in Los Angeles is high, with nearly 10,000 open tech jobs right now, waiting to be filled,” Patrice Madu remarked. “IT Support is among the top skills our region needs – that’s why Per Scholas is offering our proven and in-demand IT Support training as our inaugural training here in Los Angeles. I’m so proud to share that our inaugural cohort began their IT Support Course in mid-February.”

Twenty-eight aspiring technologists are learning all of the technical fundamentals and growing their professional development skills and will be ready to launch their tech careers later this spring. Additionally, four Los Angeles learners are participating in a remote Software Engineering training offered by Per Scholas, with graduation set for May. 

Learn more about upcoming courses at Per Scholas Los Angeles here.

Per Scholas was named a new regional workforce partner of Citizens as part of a massive commitment announced today in Jersey City, New Jersey. Residents and businesses in New Jersey’s Hudson and Essex Counties will benefit from broader and more equitable access to job training and development programs. The initiative is focused on enabling skills-based job training in evolving industries, bridging the digital skills gap in historically marginalized communities, and more.

The funding Per Scholas receives will help support Per Scholas’ Alumni Upskilling program, with a focus on providing continued support to alumni, helping them remain on a successful path and to further advance in their careers in the rapidly evolving tech world.

Read Citizens’ press release here. 

Per Scholas Phoenix hosted a small reception organized by U.S. House Representative Ruben Gallego to celebrate the winners and participants of the Congressional App Challenge. This event was a nationwide competition for middle and high schoolers led by the United States House of Representatives that has been held since 2016, centered around coding, program design, and computer science. 

In addition to celebrating the winners and all participants of the challenge, the event included remarks from Per Scholas Regional Senior Vice President, West, Jaclyn Boyes, Office of Rep. Ruben Gallego, community members, and challenge participants. 

“Opportunities like the 2022 Congressional App Challenge are what connects our community’s bright young minds to an increasingly digital world,” commented Jaclyn Boyes, former Managing Director of Per Scholas Phoenix. “Arizona is the 12th-highest ranking state in the entire country for our tech industry diversity. It’s so critical that we don’t lose steam behind any efforts for more STEM programs made available to students in our schools.”

Click here to read about the 2023 Congressional App Challenge winners!

Bridging The Tech Talent Gap In Upper Manhattan Per Scholas and UMEZ Launch a Tech Initiative Creating Pathways to In-Demand Skills and Thriving-Wage Careers

New York, N.Y. (March 27, 2023) – The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ) has awarded Per Scholas a $200,000 grant to launch the Technology Sector Employment Initiative in Upper Manhattan collaboratively. This initiative aims to increase economic mobility by bridging the technology skills gap for Upper Manhattan residents and strengthening the capacity of community partnerships to support the development of a local tech talent pipeline.

“With the launch of our Technology Sector Employment Initiative, we are creating an opportunity to advance tech inclusion and bridge tech talent gaps in Upper Manhattan,” said Blair M. Duncan, President & CEO of UMEZ.  “We are proud to partner with Per Scholas and our community partners to connect Upper Manhattan residents to thriving-wage careers in tech.”

Per Scholas will work with community partners through the UMEZ-sponsored Community Partner Tech Fund to identify and enroll at least 65 residents from all neighborhoods of the UMEZ catchment area, covering the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Community Districts of Upper Manhattan, this year. Interested learners can apply for any course Per Scholas New York offers at its Bronx or Brooklyn campuses and its Satellite partner locations, including the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center at First Avenue and 93rd Streets. 2023 courses offered by Per Scholas New York include IT Support, AWS re/Start, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and Java Developer. 

“We are so proud to team up with UMEZ and incredible community partners in Upper Manhattan to continue to expand Per Scholas’ reach in our hometown,” said Debbie Roman, Per Scholas New York Managing Director. “Through our innovative Satellite Model, we were able to train New Yorkers from all 51 Districts last year, and now through this intentional partnership with UMEZ, our presence and impact will only continue to grow in Upper Manhattan.”

Interested Upper Manhattan learners can contact our collaborative network of community partners including Community Impact, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), and Urban Upbound to begin the screening and admissions process. If you are a community partner based in Upper Manhattan and interested in participating in the Technology Sector Employment Initiative, please contact Christina Xenos, Per Scholas Director of Strategic Partnerships, at [email protected]. 

Olger Twyner, Executive Director of Community Impact at Columbia University stated, “Community Impact is excited to join this important initiative, which will allow us to partner with UMEZ and Per Scholas to provide life enhancing opportunities to our adult education program participants, as well as other community residents who are upskilling and seeking employment.  The skills and training necessary to join the technology job force are critical. The Technology Sector Employment Initiative will provide those skills and open new opportunities to those who need them most.” 

Maria Lizardo, Executive Director of NMIC shared, “All individuals deserve equitable access to education, and that’s why we are so thrilled about our upcoming collaboration with Per Scholas, made possible by UMEZ. Through this partnership, NMIC will help recruit those who aspire to work in the technology workforce who otherwise might not have had access to the skills training and employer networks required for long-term employment. We know that through this partnership, future leaders of our community will be taught the skills to build fruitful careers in tech and secure prosperous futures.”

“As a leader in the fight to lift New Yorkers out of poverty, Urban Upbound is proud to partner with Per Scholas and UMEZ in creating new paths for Upper Manhattan residents to access the technology job market, a key sector with high-earning entry level jobs. We are committed to advancing our common goal of introducing more women and people of color to tech and bridge the skills gap,” said Bishop Mitchell Taylor, CEO and Co-Founder of Urban Upbound.

To learn more about Per Scholas New York and to view upcoming tech training opportunities, visit www.PerScholas.org/NewYork. 

About Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation

UMEZ is an independent not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to sustain the economic revitalization of all communities of Upper Manhattan through job creation, corporate alliances, strategic investments, and small business assistance.

UMEZ is part of a national Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) network that promotes economic growth by financing businesses, creating jobs, and rebuilding neighborhoods.

UMEZ facilitates economic development in Central, West, and East Harlem; Washington Heights; and Inwood neighborhoods.

About Per Scholas

For more than 25 years, Per Scholas has been advancing equity and increasing opportunity across America. Per Scholas unlocks potential for individuals, communities, and employers through rigorous training for careers in tech. Partnering with dynamic employer partners, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups, we are building sustainable and diverse talent pipelines, together changing the face of tech. With national remote training and campuses in 20 cities and growing, Per Scholas offers tuition-free training in the most in-demand tech skills, including Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Engineering, IT Support, Software Engineering, and more. To date, more than 20,000 individuals have gained the skills to launch high-growth tech careers, earning three times their pre-training wage. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is our DNA, with 85 percent of learners are people of color, two in five are women, and more than half have a high school diploma as their highest education credential. Learn more by visiting PerScholas.org and following us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

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Per Scholas Philadelphia is grateful to be one of four recipients of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce Workforce Solutions Grant. The $500,000 investment will help Per Scholas Philadelphia provide free technical and professional skills training and job placement services to learners. The grant awarded organizations that strive to elevate evidence-informed approaches to address specific challenges Black, brown, and other historically disadvantaged Philadelphia residents face when preparing for and entering the workforce.

“Our city is seeing growth in tech roles across industries, especially in education and healthcare,” said Per Scholas Philadelphia Managing Director Nikki Pumphrey. “To meet the demand and ensure that more Philadelphians have access to the social and economic mobility that this industry offers, organizations including Per Scholas are critical in building on-ramps for those new to the field.”

To learn more about this grant, read the full press release.

Leaders from Technology, Government, Private Equity, Nonprofit Contribute to Transform America’s Tech Workforce in the Southwest

PHOENIX (February 28, 2023) – Per Scholas Phoenix today announces the establishment of its inaugural Advisory Board. Leaders from technology, government, private equity, and the nonprofit sector will contribute their time and talent to supporting Per Scholas Phoenix and its mission to transform America’s technology workforce through rigorous tech skills training.

Inaugural Per Scholas Phoenix Advisory Board Members include:

• Anebi Agbo, Product Builder & Entrepreneur, Eikon Labs
• Rich Asay, Senior Operations Analyst, Global Services, Keyfactor
• Amber Braaten, IS Service Desk Controller, Master Electronics
• Shereka Jackson, Founder/CEO, Future Stars Inc
• Aaron Jones, Software Developer, City of Chandler
• Phillip Pipkins, Founding Partner, Prospeq, LP

“We are thrilled to have inspired leadership from our inaugural Per Scholas Phoenix Board members. Their creative vision will help us connect rigorously trained tech talent with quality job employers, changing the face of tech here in Arizona,” said Jaclyn Boyes, Per Scholas Phoenix Managing Director. 

Since opening in 2021, more than 100 learners have graduated from Per Scholas Phoenix and have gone onto employment in tech roles at a variety of companies across the city – from large financial service institutions to small startups. 

Per Scholas Phoenix is grateful for Founder’s Circle partners TEKsystems as well as generous support from Boeing, New World Foundation Quality Jobs Fund, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and Wells Fargo.

 Currently, Per Scholas Phoenix offers a variety of tech training courses including Java Developer, IT Support, and more. To learn more, please visit www.PerScholas.org/Phoenix.

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for more than 25 years. Through rigorous training, professional development, and robust employer connections, we prepare 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 new career opportunities at businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 20 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 20,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, visit PerScholas.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.