Per Scholas has collaborated with Staten Island for our Satellite Partnership Initiative to better serve our New York community with a Staten Island site.  Per Scholas New York Managing Director Abe Mendez met with Borough President James Oddo to announce this exciting expansion news that is set to begin this fall at the Jewish Community Center.

With a fifth of New York’s open jobs being in technology, it is fitting that we begin to target the Staten Island community with our growth.  On our collaboration, Oddo said, “This is a world-class entity that is doing this training and job placement. This is the best in this genre. And it’s been doing great things in the other four boroughs. We’re essentially starting the relationship between Staten Island and Per Scholas, and in the fall bringing them to a home on Staten Island, which will be the JCC.”

Click here to learn more about this collaboration.

Dayna and Sadaf are two of hundreds of Per Scholas learners who received tech toolkits as part of our 1,000 Careers Campaign. 

Dayna Thomas Tucker, a Per Scholas learner, has personally benefited from the Raspberry Pi toolkit she received. The working mother of two has had a passion for technology and computers since she was young and would work on computers in school to try to figure out how they worked. 

We recently connected with Dayna, who reflected, “I received the Raspberry Pi toolkit and gave me access to hands-on experience that I needed. The Raspberry Pi is Linux based and Linux was not something that I was used to. I had to rely solely on commands and learn codes.  It  was an interesting and fun way for us to learn a new system that was not like my Windows computer. It was definitely something different, but a great experience for someone like myself that has never worked with that type of system before.” Dayna is currently completing her End User Desktop Support training and is set to graduate in June with her eyes set on a technology career. 

Another example of how these tech toolkits and laptops assisted in our learner’s success is that of Sadaf Haroon, who received a Macbook for her training.  Sadaf obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science originally, but had a gap in her employment once she became a mother.  Eager to return to the industry, she looked into Per Scholas’s training as a way to get back and freshen up her skills.

Now a Software Engineer at AT&T, Sadaf initially received multiple job offers within a week of graduation and mentioned how her training and career development at Per Scholas connected her with her current position.  Sadaf, an immigrant mother of three, was at first intimidated to resume a career in a thriving field as Tech. “Per Scholas made it easier for me to learn and now I am an earning member of my family. What can be greater than that?”

When we had the chance to chat with Sadaf, she shared, “It was a great initiative to provide the laptop.  I was able to keep up with online learning and materials covered in my course since the computer came equipped with everything I needed that was up to date according to the program. It was also exciting to pick up the device and meet according to CDC guidelines.”  

The impact of these toolkits is clear – enabling hundreds of learners to pursue training and open doors to high-growth careers in tech. 

Per Scholas Partners with Liquid Technology for #GivingTuesday Donation Drive

Champion partner Liquid Technology will match up to $10,000 on #GivingTuesday, allowing the tech training nonprofit to provide much-needed technical support to remote learners

New York, NY – December 1, 2020 – Today, national tech training nonprofit Per Scholas announced that its Champion Partner, Liquid Technology, will be matching all donations to the organization on #GivingTuesday, up to $10,000. Every dollar donated to the nonprofit before midnight will go directly to Per Scholas’ 1,000 Careers Campaign, which is providing technology toolkits to Per Scholas learners who need additional support in light of remote training.

With millions of Americans still unemployed due to COVID-19, Per Scholas is working to provide skills training and economic opportunities to those most often excluded from good paying, high-growth technology careers – particularly women and BIPOC. The 1,000 Careers Campaign will ensure that Per Scholas learners have access to the equipment they need, including a laptop, webcam, headphones, Wi-Fi access, and Raspberry Pi microcomputer, to help them complete training and find meaningful employment.

“Now more than ever, it’s important that individuals seeking to invest in their futures have the tools and training they need to succeed,” said Per Scholas CEO Plinio Ayala. “Per Scholas was founded to provide technology and tech skills to the communities that need them the most, and this continued support from Liquid Technology will allow us to extend opportunities to even more deserving learners.”

“As a long time Per Scholas partner, we know how important their efforts are to providing economic opportunity for communities of color, having been hit disproportionately hard by the Covid-19 pandemic,” shared Richard Greene, Liquid Technology Managing Partner. “We are honored to participate in Per Scholas’ Giving Tuesday campaign by matching funds. Liquid Technology takes great pride in supporting Per Scholas and their initiatives.”

Through Per Scholas’s tuition-free tech training programs, more than 12,000 job-seekers across the U.S. have received the technology skills, career foundation, and financial coaching they need to be successful in today’s workforce. Approximately 85% of learners graduate in 15 weeks, and alumni earn, on average, three times their pre-training wage in their first job after graduation. 

To donate and your contribution matched on #GivingTuesday, visit PERSCHOLAS.ORG/1000CAREERS 

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is a national organization that has been advancing economic mobility for 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 with leading employers, from Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups. With campuses in 14 cities, Per Scholas has trained more than 12,000 individuals in tech skills, building bridges to careers in technology. To learn more, please visit perscholas.org.

About Liquid Technology

Liquid Technology is a full-service IT asset disposition company that offers a complete suite of services designed to help companies manage their hardware assets. These services include Brokering and Purchasing Excess IT Equipment, Auditable Data Destruction, Environmental Disposal of Electronic Waste and IT Asset Management. To learn more, please visit liquidtechnology.net.

This is the time of year when Per Scholas supporters have the opportunity to make an impact on students and their communities by supporting Per Scholas and our mission of building onramps to technology careers through technical training and professional development. Last year, we heard success stories from Per Scholas graduates about how a job changes everything. This year, we have seen evidence that not only a job, but a good job, can be life changing.

A job helps our students stay on their feet. A good job with benefits that allows our graduates to utilize the skills they have acquired, not only supports their families, but also gives them a sense of belonging in the workplace. Our graduates deserve the professional roles they find themselves in after completing training.

And your support guarantees that we will be able to continue helping Per Scholas graduates find these opportunities.

Per Scholas NCR alumni Jamel Lattimore is the perfect example of how a little support can mean the world to one individual. “Before Per Scholas, I honestly didn’t have any hope,” Jamel says. “Per Scholas made me more confident, gave me people who support me. It helped me push past the roadblocks I was experiencing.” A good job changes everything, including Jamel’s confidence in himself. He now works fulltime for TEKSystems and feels incredibly supported by his employer.

There are hundreds more success stories like Jamel’s that have come from Per Scholas’ decades of commitment to our students. This fall we’ll share with you the story of veteran Renique King, as well as father Courtney Bryant, former customer service representative Blair Hilliard and many more from across the country. These are graduates who may have been employed when they came to Per Scholas, but their talents were wasted and their potential overlooked. Per Scholas helped each of them take their first real steps toward a fulfilling career and a better life.

With the help of generous donors like you continuing to support Per Scholas, we will be able to transform students lives with training, career coaching, financial guidance , and alumni services across six sites nationwide. The Per Scholas End of Year Campaign begins on Wednesday, November 8 and concludes on January 10. To find out more about our graduates and to give today, visit perscholas.org/donate.

Per Scholas is eager to announce our participation in the Columbus Foundation’s annual Big Give fundraising campaign! October 10th through October 11th, you can support Per Scholas’ mission to provide onramps for underemployed or unemployed community members with tuition-free technical training by giving a gift to Per Scholas Columbus via the Big Give website.

Since its opening in 2012, Columbus has impacted the surrounding community in a positive way, training students in IT and preparing them for careers in the technology sector. Last year, 85 students were enrolled and 93% of students graduated. Of those students, 82% were diverse and 35% were young adults ranging from 18 to 25 years old. Each year these numbers continue to grow in Columbus.

What is the Big Give?

Big Give is an online giving rally to make a difference through kindness. The Columbus Foundation, its family of donors, and community and corporate partners have worked to make sure that participating nonprofits receive 100% of the donations given. Donations received during the 26-hour online event will be eligible for bonus pool funds based on a pro rata basis. Everyone who gives will have their donation(s) amplified!

When is the Big Give?

The Big Give runs from Tuesday, October 10, 10:00 a.m. ET through Wednesday, October 11, 12:00 p.m. ET. Donations made to Per Scholas through The Big Give will be distributed by November 30.

Your generous donation during this 26-hour giving campaign allows Per Scholas Columbus to continue its great work of providing students with technology training and professional development skills. Because of campaigns like the Big Give, each one of our six national sites is able to not only train future IT professionals, but match them with employer partners as well. Per Scholas Columbus recently placed 100% of students in its latest cohort. We are not only helping individuals get sustainable careers in technology. We are helping to build better communities.

If you would like to support Per Scholas during this year’s Big Give, you can give online in the Giving Store. On the move? Give on the go by texting the code 8600 to (614) 230-0347.

Make sure you share your participation in the Big Give on social media by tagging @perscholas, @colsfoundation, and using the hashtags #BigGive and #LeadnTech.

Per Scholas is excited to partner with Macy’s for their Shop for a Cause Charity Challenge! By supporting Per Scholas with a $5 donation or more, you’ll receive an exclusive Macy’s Shop for a Cause savings pass.

Your donation will support Per Scholas’ goal to graduate over 1,000 individuals across our six sites in 2017. These future technologists are not just finding their next job, they are finding a career to grow and support their families, their communities and their new workplace.

By supporting Per Scholas, you’ll be saving at Macy’s! Visit https://www.crowdrise.com/per-scholas2 to start saving today!

Per Scholas is excited to announce its participation in the annual DoMore24 Fundraising Campaign! On June 8th, you can take part in the single largest giving day of the year to support Per Scholas in the National Capital Region.

What is DoMore 24?

Do More 24 is the DMV’s largest annual 24-hour online fundraiser, powered by United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA).

When is Do More 24?

Do More 24 begins at 12:00 AM and ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

With your generous donation during this ONE DAY of giving, Per Scholas NCR will be better equipped to provide free technology based training and professional development to the thousands of talented individuals from overlooked communities. By matching these future IT professionals with employer partners, we are directly impacting the community and providing sustainable careers in technology to many. In the National Capital Region, Per Scholas graduated 86% of enrollees and placed 81% of those graduates in jobs. We expanded our course offerings to include IT Security training for students interested in pursuing careers in security risk management and asset protection.

That’s not all! If you’d like to get in on the fun, there will be a series of Social Media activities to participate in that we can’t wait to share with you.

If you’re feeling ready to donate now, then don’t fret! Advance Giving is now open and will be officially counted on June 8th during the DoMore24 campaign!

About DoMore24

Do More 24TM is more than just one day of fundraising…it’s the next generation of online giving. It’s a local movement that is leveraging the power of the crowd to support our region’s nonprofits through focused, online giving directed at creating maximum impact. We are building an innovative platform that will allow donation tracking and progress, give users the opportunity to see who else is participating, and experience something you have never seen before: real people feeling the effect of giving in real time.

The #AJobChangesEverything fundraiser raised more than $175,000 for Per Scholas students this holiday season. A record amount–and $80,000 more than 2015. A very special thank you to the Per Scholas Board of Directors and regional advisory council members who generously pledged to match every dollar raised up to $50,000–which was a success!

These donations represent friends, family, volunteers, alumni, board and staff who gave generously and spread the word far and wide about our work. These funds will help support training for 1,000 individuals in 2017 for life-changing careers in technology.

Having a job means something different for everyone. For Per Scholas CEO, Plinio Ayala, a job allowed him the ability to enjoy his favorite childhood activity, stickball. Every September, Plinio’s mother bought him one new pair of sneakers in preparation for school. By early August, the soles would have holes and his socks would tear. Knowing his Mom could not afford a new pair of sneakers or socks, Plinio knew he had to cut his summer fun short.

“I would stop my most favorite thing– playing stickball in the school yard. [When I was 14] I was legally allowed to work. With my first paycheck, I bought two pairs of Pro Keds, one white and one black. I never wanted to have holes in my socks again, but more importantly, I did not want torn sneakers to keep me from doing what I loved most at the time– playing stickball.”

For Plinio, a job, and subsequently a paycheck, meant a pair of sneakers and being able to play stickball. For those we serve, the stakes are much higher and your support allows us to train 1,000 more students in 2017. That’s 1,000 more individuals who will be able to share what a job has changed for them.

To all who donated, thank you from everyone–staff and students-we couldn’t have done it without you.

The #AJobChangesEverything fundraiser raised more than $175,000 for Per Scholas students this holiday season. A record amount–and $80,000 more than 2015. A very special thank you to the Per Scholas Board of Directors and regional advisory council members who generously pledged to match every dollar raised up to $50,000–which was a success!

These donations represent friends, family, volunteers, alumni, board and staff who gave generously and spread the word far and wide about our work. These funds will help support training for 1,000 individuals in 2017 for life-changing careers in technology.

Having a job means something different for everyone. For Per Scholas CEO, Plinio Ayala, a job allowed him the ability to enjoy his favorite childhood activity, stickball. Every September, Plinio’s mother bought him one new pair of sneakers in preparation for school. By early August, the soles would have holes and his socks would tear. Knowing his Mom could not afford a new pair of sneakers or socks, Plinio knew he had to cut his summer fun short.

“I would stop my most favorite thing– playing stickball in the school yard. [When I was 14] I was legally allowed to work. With my first paycheck, I bought two pairs of Pro Keds, one white and one black. I never wanted to have holes in my socks again, but more importantly, I did not want torn sneakers to keep me from doing what I loved most at the time– playing stickball.”

For Plinio, a job, and subsequently a paycheck, meant a pair of sneakers and being able to play stickball. For those we serve, the stakes are much higher and your support allows us to train 1,000 more students in 2017. That’s 1,000 more individuals who will be able to share what a job has changed for them.

To all who donated, thank you from everyone–staff and students-we couldn’t have done it without you.

Check out past Monthly Impact Reports here.