Per Scholas Brings Technology and Low-Income Individuals Closer

With great employer demand for skilled information workers, it is predicted that 3.7 million new IT jobs will be created by 2016. National non-profit organization Per Scholas is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing technology education, training, access, and job placement services for individuals in disadvantaged communities.

Founded in 1995 as a neighborhood-based effort to make personal computers more accessible, Per Scholas was one of the first organizations to work towards closing the digital gap for children and families in the South Bronx, the poorest Congressional District in the US. In 1998, Per Scholas introduced its first IT training course and trained a total of 100 people. Since then, the non-profit has expanded nationally with new locations in Columbus, Cincinnati, and the National Capital Region, while another city is scheduled to open in late 2014.

Per Scholas serves more than 400 individuals each year and has reached 4,500 to date. Recognized as one of the nation's top 100 high-impact non-profits by Social Impact Exchange, Per Scholas operates the state-licensed Per Scholas Institute for Technology, the oldest and largest professional IT workforce development program in NYC. All Per Scholas programs combine three essential components: hands-on technical skills, “soft skills” and workplace skills, and ongoing personalized support.

In 2014, Per Scholas and IT consulting firm Doran Jones launched the Urban Development Center (UDC). Located in the same facility as Per Scholas headquarters, UDC is a software testing center modeled after successful overseas testing firms. Doran Jones will provide software testing services for clients out of UDC and employ 150 Per Scholas graduates in the first 12 months. The Urban Development Center will bring more than $5 million in additional wages to the Bronx, as well as meet local business needs and enhance community development in low-income neighborhoods.

Per Scholas's partners and supporters include Bloomberg, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Capital One, ACE Charitable Foundation, and over 250 volunteers each year.