Just over a month after Bank of America announced a partnership with Women Who Code, the financial services company has debuted a new initiative that will pilot in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Working with Seattle-based nonprofit Code.org, Bank of America's first-of-its-kind partnership will bring computer science education to underserved schools throughout Charlotte, via an employee-driven volunteer program and a $250,000 donation to the organization.
The move is in concert with an "overall series of collaboration" between BofA, the communities it serves and its "vision of the workforce of the future," its CTO Howard Boville told Charlotte Inno. Volunteers will conduct school visits for The Hour of Code teaching sessions, which provide hands-on, foundational educational opportunities for students.
"Charlotte is an ideal city to pilot in."
He explained that these kinds of partnerships are an investment, ultimately developing a "rich and vibrant" pipeline of talent that serve both the company and the local tech ecosystem. Additionally, it helps close gaps in students' curricula and ensures that a diverse range of workers have seats at the table.
"It's about economic mobility," Boville said. "We believe that in capitalism; we’re a bank. But we believe there's an 'and' after capitalism ... education is a clear component of that."
His perspective is shared by leaders at Code.org.
"Code.org’s vision is to give every student in every school a chance to learn computer science," said the nonprofit's president, Alice Steinglass. "This opportunity should not depend on a student's race or socioeconomic background. Research shows that introducing computer science to students early in life leads to more students — especially female and underrepresented minority students — pursuing computer science as a long term major and/or career.”
Eventually, the initiative will expand into other cities and offer additional opportunities, such as professional development for educators. In the meantime, however, both BofA and Code.org have their sights set on CMS.
"Charlotte is an ideal city to pilot in," Boville said. "There's a large population in Charlotte ... and we're well-connected through various community initiatives."
This one-step-at-a-time approach, as opposed to a national rollout, allows BofA and Code.org to ensure their work has maximum effectiveness.
The pilot will roll out at the end of January. Upon the conclusion of Q1, Boville said leadership will work on moving to additional metros. Currently, Dallas and Jersey City are on the shortlist.
