On Wednesday, the D.C. Mayor’s office, in partnership with 1776 and General Assembly (GA), announced a new initiative called the “DC Innovation Opportunity Program,” promoted through this month's tech campaign platform known as InnoMAYtion.
"The Mayor's office is using the InnoMAYtion campaign as a platform to make several announcements of innovative programs & initiatives all month - the DC Innovation Opportunity Program being one of them," Business Attraction & AccelerateDC Director Tiffany Thacker said.
The program aims to provide an effective tech-based educational opportunity to students in underserved areas with the goal of integrating those individuals into D.C.’s vibrant technology scene. By creating this training opportunity, the idea is to employ applicants with high paying technology jobs connect to one of the program’s corporate sponsors — either MedStar, Capital One Bank and/or Microsoft. By designing this opportunity for individuals who would otherwise not be afforded it, innoMAYtion promotes the progression of hardworking students regardless of their economic background.
To get a better idea of what the Mayor's program entails, how it will function and what these applicants will be taught, we spoke to General Assembly Regional Director Paul Gleger.
Here is our interview with Paul:
Q [Chris Bing]: What was the program’s drafting process like and how was GA originally approached by the Mayor's office and/or 1776?
A [Paul Gleger]: Since launching General Assembly DC in partnership with 1776 in the fall of 2013, we’ve had the joint goal of expanding education opportunities to all parts of DC. While we were already working to expand education to underrepresented groups in tech and design fields through GA’s Opportunity Fund, we were committed to doing even more in the DC region.
A few months ago, 1776 approached us letting us know they were starting to put a group of partners together to bring technology and design workshops to THEARCH Community Center, in Ward 8 of DC. Over the last few months, 1776 and GA were able to grow the initiative and put a broader coalition of partners together to make the program come to life. We’re excited to lead these workshops and provide the Web Development or User Experience Design Immersive education experience to the scholarship recipients.
Q: Why is it important to provide tech-centric educational opportunities to underserved communities?
A: GA believes in expanding access to tech and design skills to people throughout our communities. That’s why we started our Opportunity Fund to serve underserved populations. Entrepreneurs face challenges building businesses regardless of the community in which they’re located. In every city with a burgeoning tech ecosystem -- from New York, to DC, to San Francisco and Austin -- attracting top talent is a competitive sport. I’m a big endorser of one way to solve this problem: pragmatic philanthropy. We’re seeing more corporations and executives getting behind charitable efforts that are going to help create a pipeline of workers they may eventually hire. It’s about diversifying the tech talent pipeline, but also about helping build the future.
Q: Can you describe how the program’s 3 part workshop will be designed?
A: The three initial workshops are designed to provide an overview of the web development and user experience design professions. There will be between 30 and 40 initial participants, out of which the participating partners will select five for the full-tuition scholarship towards a General Assembly Immersive program. The first workshop will focus on introducing participants to opportunities in tech and design fields. We’ll have panels focused on discussing how to break into the field and what it’s actually like to be a web developer or a UX designer. The second workshop will focus on web development.
GA’s instructors will lead hands on sessions focused on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and introduction to back-end frameworks. Students will code an ‘about me’ page by the end of this workshop, which will be part of their application to GA’s Immersive program. The third workshop will focus on user experience design skills, covering topics like wireframing, usability principles, and user flows. Students will work on a hands-on project which will also be part of their application to GA’s Immersive program.
Q: Could you shed some light on the criteria that will be used to select the original 30-40 students for the workshop sessions? Will the same criteria be used for the scholarship offers and who will be involved in this process?
A: The initial 30-40 participants will submit an application (application here: https://generalassemb.ly/apply/dc-innovation-opportunity-program), which includes an essay on why they would like to be considered for the program. All applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a GED or equivalent, and must be residents of Ward 7 and 8. General Assembly will select the initial 30-40 participants for the workshops. The five scholarship finalists will be selected by the group of participating partners, including 1776, TDF Foundation, Capital One, Microsoft, and MedStar.
Q: What would you consider a success for this pilot program? And if successful, how may it be expanded next year?
A: We’ll consider the program a success if we have 30 participants in the preliminary workshops, if all participants walk away with initial knowledge of UX Design and Web Development, and if the five selected scholarship recipients successfully graduate GA’s Immersive course and make the transition into becoming working professionals in the field. It’s also impressive that some of the largest companies in the DC ecosystem came together so quickly, with the support of the Mayor, to make this program a reality. We’re excited to learn from the pilot program and we’ll absolutely consider expanding the scope of the program going into 2016.
Q: How many instructors/staff will be working with students throughout the workshops at GA?
A: The initial workshops will have several GA instructors, GA course alumni, and several members of our staff. We’re definitely treating this as an all-hands-on-deck program and our team is so excited to get even more involved with the community. We’re committed to helping the broader DC community develop their digital skills and apply those skills to projects they are passionate about.
Q: How will these programs, both the original 3 part workshop and larger course offerings, help individuals be better prepared to apply for technology sector jobs?
A: All of the students from underserved parts of DC will get exposure to new skills, possibilities and opportunities in tech and design. Along with our partners, we’ll be providing mentoring and guidance, aided by professionals with a depth of industry experience. Those that apply and are accepted for the scholarships to our immersive programs will get the full range of GA support, career guidance services and industry exposure that has led to 90% of our graduates finding jobs in three months.
Q: How will GA be involved in the training of the 5 scholarship offered individuals?
A: The five scholarship recipients will attend a General Assembly full-time Immersive course. Students will be able to choose a track in User Experience Design (which is 10 weeks long) or Web Development (which is 12 weeks long). These are full-time, on campus courses, meaning students will be on GA’s campus from 9am to 5:30pm daily. While the bulk of GA’s Immersive programs is focused on technical skills and hands on projects, we also have weekly outcomes programs to better prepare students for their transition into the field. These five scholarship recipients will join dozens of classmates, from all backgrounds, on this career transitioning journey.
