Per Scholas Instructors Eduardo Hernandez and Opo Herrera walked the 2.2 million net square feet of exhibit space at CES 15 in Las Vegas taking in all the newest and greatest advancements in technology. After four days and nearly 100,000 steps (they have the pictures to prove it!) we’re happy to share the most exciting tech innovations they came across. Here’s their recap.

From January 6 to January 9, 2015 Per Scholas Instructors Eduardo Hernandez and Opo Herrerawalked the 2.2 million net square feet of exhibit space at CES 15 in Las Vegas taking in all the newest and greatest advancements in technology. After four days and nearly 100,000 steps (they have the pictures to prove it!) we’re happy to share the most exciting tech innovations they came across. Here’s their recap:

By Eduardo Hernandez & Opo Herrera

3D Printers

3D printer manufactures were out in full force. From New York’s own MakerBot to Spain-based BQ, we were impressed. To us, BQ stood out as an awesome example of technology and education coming together. BQ manufactures the PRUSA I3 3D printer, which is a do it yourself (DIY) printer. Although it takes approximately eight hours to put together, the result is a fully functional 3D printer plus a greater knowledge of the inner workings of 3D printing technology. What better way to learn than to build your own?It gets even better. BQ also manufactures a robotic kit which includes IR sensors, bluetooth adapters and a light sensor, among other electronic equipment. These electronics can then be combined with a robot created by BQ’s 3D printer which you’ve just put together yourself. The robot can then be programmed to do a multitude of functions, allowing the user to learn even further.The following are some other cool things we saw created using 3D printers:

 

A 3D printed drum set. Yes, it works – it is as beautiful as it is functional.

Another masterpiece called Casa Fortunata – an architectural model with incredible detail, also created with a 3D printer.

Wireless Networks

We also encountered numerous advances in wireless technologies. During the last few years the average consumer has attempted to move away from messy wires. Linksys had a substantial presence at CES and really impressed us with some of the technologies they presented. Below we have the AC3200 TRI-Band router. It runs off two 5 Ghz bands and one 2.4 Ghz Band. What really impressed us was its capability of shifting network traffic between the two 5 GHZ bands depending on congestion. In layman’s terms, faster internet for everyone!

Mini PC’s

Computers are getting smaller and smaller. From netbooks to smartphones, our perception of what is a computer is changing. The XI3 PISTON, pictured below, is a fully modular minicomputer. It might look like a child’s toy but it is anything but. XI3 sells a server version which can support a 128GB SSD and up to 8GB of ram. All in a package that fits in the palm of your hand!

ARIN and IEEE

CES is not only about cool tech, it is also about building relations with industry affiliates.

Opo and Eduardo met with members of The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) in order to present the Per Scholas mission and discuss how to optimize Internet Protocol (IP) awareness and education globally. Specifically, IPv6 is important for Per Scholas’ students to know, as they will carry that knowledge with them into their future work in IT. IPv6 is the future of internet addressing. Many organizations are in the process of migrating from IPv4 to IPv6, a much needed transition in the United States.

​ARIN and IEEE

CES is not only about cool tech, it is also about building relations with industry affiliates.

Opo and Eduardo met with members of The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) in order to present the Per Scholas mission and discuss how to optimize Internet Protocol (IP) awareness and education globally. Specifically, IPv6 is important for Per Scholas’ students to know, as they will carry that knowledge with them into their future work in IT. IPv6 is the future of internet addressing. Many organizations are in the process of migrating from IPv4 to IPv6, a much needed transition in the United States.

“Here at Per Scholas, the bar is set substantially higher.”

WIRED Magazine

SO WHAT?

This experience only increases our love for tech and our ability to help our students be at the cutting edge of the industry. Our methods in the classroom will keep improving because of the innovations presented at the conference. We believe that technology is all about dreaming big and CES 15 definitely took us to the future.

New York City approved a plan to replace a total of 7,600 outdated pay phone booths with public WiFi kiosks in all five boroughs by 2019.

LinkNYC is a first-of-its-kind communications network that will bring the fastest available free Wi-Fi to millions of New Yorkers, small businesses, and visitors. The icing on the cake? Per Scholas will partner with Control Group, who has provided internships, jobs, volunteers, and donations in the past to Per Scholas, and Titan Outdoor Communications on the project to train operations and maintenance workers to upkeep the devices throughout the city. That means good jobs for Per Scholas graduates, and the chance for them to be involved in a massive 21st Century investment to New York City.

“When Per Scholas was founded in the mid-nineties, we were on a mission to bridge the digital divide in our most disconnected communities. Bringing free high-speed wi-fi and future-forward public technology like LinkNYC to all New Yorkers addresses the divide head-on. Per Scholas is proud to support this work and help ready the workforce to roll out this exciting technology,” Angie Kamath, Executive Director of New York, expressed of the program.

What does LinkNYC mean for New York City?

• Overall, New York City will see a 125X increase in the number of available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Staten Island will see a 279X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Brooklyn will see a 192X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• The Bronx will see a 245X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Queens will see a 124X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots
• Manhattan will see a 100X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots

The last decade has seen an upsurge in innovative companies and start-ups transforming many areas of New York, notably Brooklyn’s Navy Yard and Dumbo neighborhoods. These communities – once considered downtrodden – are now vital seed beds for young businesses and opportunistic entrepreneurs. This trend has positively altered the socio-economic landscape of those areas by creating countless jobs and providing a huge boost to local businesses.

Yet somehow, the same innovation renaissance that continues to redefine boroughs like Brooklyn has not made its way to the Bronx. A number of factors have played a role in this, including a lack of infrastructure in some of these areas – but it hasn’t been for lack of trying.

Until now, parts of the Bronx and other underdeveloped areas of the city have lacked any sort of technological infrastructure for growing jobs and attracting new business. Through this initiative, the Bronx will see a 245X increase in available payphone Wi-Fi hotspots.

Connectivity is a powerful tool that will give overlooked and underdeveloped parts of not only the Bronx, but other parts of New York City an invaluable boost, paving the way for innovative and tech-savvy businesses to begin transforming these neighborhoods. A surge of tech-enabled businesses will bring new, higher-wage jobs to the Bronx. Read more on Control Group, LinkNYC, and Per Scholas’ job creation Urban Development Center project.

The threat of cyber attack is real.

The issue of cyber security is by no means new to the industry with 1.5 million cyber attacksmonitored in the U.S. in 2013. Cyber breaches are a fact of modern life that affect small, medium, and large businesses alike.

Because of the high threat that exists in today’s world, cyber security warriors are in high demand across a wide range of sectors from finance, to government to retail to academia. In fact, the Washington metro area had more than 23,000 job postings for cyber security positions in 2013, the largest concentration in the nation.

Although substantial investments in preparing a skilled workforce are being made in the region to address this imminent growth, the truth is, our nation’s cyber security talent pipeline is broken. The growing demand is only part of the challenge faced by employers. A pipeline of abundant talent is also scarce given specific qualifications required for cyber security–like security clearance and minimum years of industry experience.

On October 8, Per Scholas brought together cyber security specialists in a conversation on the regional skills gap for entry-level cyber security positions in the National Capital Region. The panel convened with leaders from private industry, higher education, and government working in partnership to develop pathways into the cyber workforce. The panel evaluated and discussed the current cyber security landscape, the restrictions that cause the talent gap, alternatives for building a stronger pipeline, and considerations in creating a diverse pipeline of local talent to fill immediate and future need. The conversation included a strong emphasis on the importance of all leaders working together as a team towards the creation of an evolved workforce. Bridgette Gray, Managing Director for Per Scholas National Capital Region. “Often, we’re trying to resolve regional challenges in our own silos. On October 8, we began the process of breaking down these silos. To address regional issues, we must erase jurisdictional lines by bringing all players across the region to the table; there’s a place for everyone. In all of our markets, Per Scholas strives to meet the specific demands of regional employers through our IT training. It takes strong partnerships to make that happen. We are happy to take the lead in building out this task force with all of our partners.” Those interested in contributing ideas, jobs, data, funding and leadership may contact Bridgette Gray at bgray@perscholas.org.

What began as an invitation for a student story quickly turned into more than Tiffany Lewin ever thought possible: being interviewed by Chelsea Clinton in front of 1,000 people, the whole Clinton family included. Queue the goose-bumps–and not just Tiffany’s. Everybody at Per Scholas, too. Her first time flying, Tiffany took off for Denver along with Per Scholas Executive Director of New York, Angie Kamath, and took the stage the second day of the meeting.

Tiffany contributed one-of-a-kind insight to the elite panel where she was joined by a CEO of a global company, a President of a college, a U.S. Secretary, and a founder of a local nonprofit. She was the sole representative on the stage speaking from a lens that always doesn’t get the spotlight: a young adult who was hungry for an opportunity and guidance. Tiffany came to Per Scholas at the age of 19 with no work experience, no income, no pathway to higher-ed and no outside guidance to change her path. She graduated from the Per Scholas IT training and by 20 landed her first job ever as a Hardware and Systems Analyst at New York-Presbyterian. Now, nearly three years later, she’s moved up in her responsibilities and now manages others. Her voice on that stage was all the more important because she also represents a population that makes up only 5% of the tech industry – a minority woman. We have a lot to learn from her.

Following her stage time with Chelsea, Tiffany has been on the ride of her life.

Four accomplished technologists from a federal intelligence agency, NYC government, a leading philanthropic foundation, and the fashion house of Dolce & Gabbana- we could not have asked for more diversity in terms of the companies that were represented at the IT Panel at Per Scholas yesterday. However, there was a more powerful and striking commonality amongst our 4 speakers: they were all women, and all women of color. The 40 female Per Scholas students who attended were inspired, wowed, and simply excited to see strong powerful women make it in IT – and importantly these 4 professionals came from the same communities in many cases as our students.

The advice flowed for 2 hours and if our guest speakers did not have to leave, I am pretty certain they could have held a captive audience for another 2 hours! Hearing about the experiences of being a women in a male dominated industry was honest and a good eye opener for our women in tech students. While the entire session was compelling and chock full of advice here are a few of the reflections that resonated with me include:

1. Be tough, be prepared, and expect to be held under greater scrutiny simply because you are a woman.
2. 75% of being an IT professional is research – know how and from whom to find out new information. Always self study and use every tool and mentor you can.
3. Always keep your hand up – offer to help on anything to advance in your career. Mentors and sponsors will notice you and will help.
4. Find the smartest person in your area of interest and make it your business to meet and learn from them regularly.
5. Network! Network! Network! Get to the point in your career when you don’t need to apply for jobs formally, but rather you get tapped for new positions because of your reputation and work ethic.
6. Don’t cry. Ever. And if you are so frustrated or upset and you need to – get yourself to a private spot or the bathroom ASAP! (Or “pretend you poked yourself in the eye by accident”!)

Great advice, and advice backed by experience. And why might our students listen and take heed? Because these same guest speakers who are on top of their games professionally, have had their share of personal challenges and growth opportunities. The speakers candidly shared their stories – whether it was about starting out as a secretary, being out of work for years, being homeless for 2 years, or giving up the chance to go to college to care for her children. And they shared and held these experiences with pride – because they never let anything get in their way. They resolved to not accept their realities and to be smart and creative and ambitious to change their path. That is courage and perseverance up close and personal.

For those of us in the room yesterday – we shared in a powerful moment together. Seeing strong, brave, accomplished women guide and share their stories to a new crop of future technologists was one of those moments that no one in the room will forget for years to come. You can view the pictures from the panel by clicking here.

Bronx-based IT job training nonprofit, Per Scholas, Attends White House Event Focused on Serving the Long-Term Unemployed

Plinio Ayala, Per Scholas President & CEO, meets with Vice President Joe Biden to discuss strategy, scale and implementation

Bronx, N.Y. January 31, 2014 — Per Scholas, a national non-profit providing free IT job training and career support to individuals in underserved communities, will attend a White House event on Friday, January 31 convened by President Obama to discuss strategies for helping our nation’s nearly 4 million long-term unemployed get back into the labor market. President and CEO Plinio Ayala is attending to share the Per Scholas approach to serving the long-term unemployed and will sit with Vice President Biden to discuss how to strengthen skills training across the country.

Sector partnerships will be one of the strategies featured at the event as a tool to help the long-term unemployed re-train for new well-paying, family-supporting careers. These business-led partnerships bring together multiple firms within the same industry along with local colleges, training providers, community-based organizations and workforce investment boards. These employers work together to define common skill standards for hard-to-fill positions, and then partner organizations align publicly funded training and support services to prepare people for those jobs.

Mr. Ayala has been called to the White House to share the successes of Per Scholas in building such partnerships to re-employ local residents in the Information Technology industry. One of the hallmarks of the approach is that it is employer-driven with a growing list of employer partners who play an integral role in the program and graduates’ success. They include ASI System Integration, Barclays, Bloomberg, Cablevision, JPMorgan Chase, Neuberger Berman, NYSE Euronext, Pomeroy, Time Warner and many others.

A number of organizations promoting the national expansion of sector partnerships will also be in attendance, including National Skills Coalition and Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships. Other event participants will include CEOs from national corporations, small- and medium-sized employers, foundations, and other local organizations working to help the long-term unemployed in a variety of ways.

Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will be joining President Obama at the event to discuss a number of new efforts by the Obama Administration to bring new attention to the long-term unemployed. Among those efforts, it is anticipated that President Obama will be announcing new support for sector partnerships and other workforce intermediaries working with the long-term unemployed, building on the successful models developed by such organizations as Per Scholas.

Per Scholas provides free IT training, career development services, and job placement support for unemployed adults who have the drive but lack the skills to succeed in the IT industry. The Creating IT Futures Foundation, the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, partnered with Per Scholas to form the IT-Ready training network and spurred the national expansion of the program. IT-Ready has served 5,000 people to date in New York, Cincinnati and Columbus, OH, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and the National Capital Region. The network will grow to eight cities by 2016 and will train more than 1,000 individuals annually. Learn more at www.perscholas.org.

I have had the good fortune to spend time with amazing accomplished female technologists in the past week, and I wanted to share some of their insights.

Last week, I was at the 2nd Anita Borg Institute’s NYC networking event and like the first event (I did not attend, but my colleague did and loved it) it was a great opportunity to be with women in technology who were at both the beginning and mid of their careers and really interesting in both mentoring others AND smartly networking.

The keynote speaker Professor Deborah Estrin of Cornell Tech NYC spoke of her wide and varied career in academic and research centers. She spoke of the nagging self doubt she’d often feel and of the self consciousness of being a woman. Her advice: be aware of it – but push through and don’t let it hold you back. Like Lorinda Brandon of Smartbear Software, she recently told a group of over 80 of our students “raise your hand.” Be the one in the group that is willing to try things out whether that is a project, a new initiative or an assignment that is ambiguous but might prove interesting.

There is a lot of talk and advice about women in technology these days — good and important conversations. I am starting to develop an opinion that the most important thing we can do is have mentors for our female technologists. And through the mentoring, acknowledge that trailblazers can often feel self doubt. When you are one of only a few women in the department or unit — it feels weird. Acknowledge it and move past it. Quickly.

Learn more about Per Scholas Women in Tech and reach out if you want to be involved.

Across the country, it’s a busy and exciting week for Per Scholas as our national expansion plan continues to unfold. First up on the agenda for the Per Scholas National team is a visit to Columbus, where long-time Per Scholas supporters Creating IT Futures Foundation (CITFF) is convening its board and paying a visit to Per Scholas Columbus. CITFF and Team Per Scholas will also be generously hosted at Time Warner Cable, who has been a leader in our favorite kind of support: hiring six Per Scholas Columbus grads in the last four months alone!

Later in the week, Per Scholas National will be meeting with tech community leaders at the Northern Virginia Tech Council (NVTC), to discuss making Per Scholas’ newest home in the capital region. Interested in bringing Per Scholas’ IT-Ready training to the D.C. area? Please join the conversation at the next NVTC Workforce and Education meeting this Friday, or get in touch with Miriam Ackerman to discuss ways to support our replication in D.C.

Things are just as busy and happening in our New York location with three classes spending all of Wednesday on a corporate field trip to Neuberger Berman, a committed corporate partner of the organization whose paid internship program has turned out some of the greatest alumni success stories. On Thursday, Keith Klain of Barclays will be on-site to discuss Quality Assurance testing career tracks with students in the morning and Gigi Stone, correspondent of Bloomberg TV, will meet with students in the later half of the day.

What a busy, busy week! We are excited and grateful for all the positive engagements on the calendar and extend thanks to all the supporters who make it possible.

Fortunately, power is up in our office, internet is running, and phones are back (sort of — email is best for now). We are all safe and sound. We know this is not the case for all of our fellow friends in New York and elsewhere. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, we offer our support and well wishes to those in need because we recognize serving our community and fighting poverty isn’t limited to the confines of our walls.

Many people are still in need of help. Whether it’s donating money, food, blood, or time, everything is appreciated and needed. Here are some ways you can lend a helping hand.

Volunteer: There are volunteers needed everywhere for just about everything. If you are in New York, you can register to volunteer at NYCService.org. Those of you with tech skills to offer, visit NYTechResponds to help. You can also contact American Red Cross, Robin Hood Foundation or City Harvest – all have opportunities to respond to many needs. Per Scholas student Robert Maseda and his Cycle 11 class organized volunteer events for several weekends in November and December partnering with the organization Bronx is Blooming. Join them and other Per Scholas staff teaming together. Email Robert to sign up: robertp.maseda@gmail.com. We applaud Robert and his classmates for this tremendous leadership and show of initiative. Dates:

November 17 @ Mosholu Parkway & Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY, from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm

December 1 @ to be determined

December 15 @ to be determined

More in development…

Give Blood: Visit redcrossblood.org or nybc.org to find out where you can give blood.

Text a Donation: Its easier than you think to make a $10 donation to storm relief efforts.

American Red Cross: Text REDCROSS to 90999

United Way Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund: Text RECOVERY to 52000

Food Bank for New York: Text FBNYC to 50555

New Jersey Community Good Bank: Text FEEDNJ to 80888

New York Cares: Text iCARE to 85944

If there are other valuable resources, please email info@perscholas.org and they will be added. If you have urgent needs that are technical and computer related, please reach out. We have many that can help with repairs and other issues that have surfaced from the storms (info@perscholas.org).

If you are a Per Scholas student who has been greatly affected by the storm where you live, please let us know immediately. We will do everything in our power to help you get what you need.

Dear Students, Staff, Prospective Students, Volunteers, & Supporters,

Following closure from Hurricane Sandy, the Per Scholas Bronx location is back in full operation as of Monday, November 5. We are grateful to report that Per Scholas has full electricity, no storm damage and our phones and internet are back-up.

If you are a student, current or prospective, who lives in a territory without public transit or who has been personally displaced or affected by the storm, please reach out to us for help. If we can do something for you, we will. The main line is 718-991-8400. To reach admissions via email, admissions@perscholas.org. You may also contact your instructors directly for assistance. If one of your classmates has been affected by the storm and is without the means to get in touch, please tell us! Inform your instruction team of his/her situation so we can help.

For scheduled visits from our supporters and volunteers, we will be in touch with you to reschedule your visit or day of service once business is back up and running.

Millions of New Yorkers have been affected by this powerful storm including our students, staff and supporters. We know many others outside of our city have been devastated by this storm as well. Know that the Per Scholas team has you in our thoughts and is here to help in any way. If you would like to contribute to hurricane relief in the NYC area, visit NYC.gov for information on where you can donate goods or volunteer where help is needed most. For general questions to Per Scholas, please email info@perscholas.org and we will respond as quickly as we can. Be safe.

NEW: A map of Hurricane Sandy Recovery Volunteer Opportunities. Thanks Robin Hood for sharing!