“Indisputable proof that the American Dream still lives.” - Robin Hood Foundation

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit organization that breaks the cycle of poverty by providing technology education, access, training and job placement in low-income communities.

Founded in 1995 as a neighborhood-based effort to increase access to personal computers, Per Scholas was an early pioneer in bridging the digital divide for families and children in the South Bronx -- the nation's poorest Congressional District. In 1999, Per Scholas expanded into workforce development, launching the first tuition-free IT job training and placement program in the region. The training operates in New York City and Columbus, OH with more cities to join in the near future.

In our state-licensed Institute of Technology, Per Scholas provides comprehensive, free IT professional training, placement and ongoing support services to more than 460 underskilled adults each year. Independent research proves that our approach creates impressive income gains.

NATIONAL STATISTICS:

• 46.2 million Americans today live in poverty, 16.1 million of whom are children
• 88 million U.S. residents lack the education, skills and credentials to participate in our growing information economy while employer demand for skilled information workers is expected to create 3.7 million new IT jobs before 2016.

PER SCHOLAS STATISTICS:

• Per Scholas takes advantage of the evolving economy and has trained nearly 4,000 individuals over its history for the competitive skills to establish careers as IT professionals.
• 85% of students graduate from our training. 80% of those graduates land jobs within one year after completing training.
• Per Scholas is New York's oldest & largest IT workforce training provider.
• One-quarter of our student body are U.S. Veterans. One-third are custodial parents.
• We are the only IT workforce development organization in New York and Columbus that serves adults over the age of 25. Individuals get the chance they need regardless of age.

For more information, read our history at www.perscholas.org