One of the questions I get a lot from people about our K12 Computer Science Education work is “where are the pathways to a job?” and right now there aren’t enough of them. Some of it is that not enough students have the skills that employers want in an employee or an intern. But some of it is that we haven’t built enough of these pathways. We are fixing both of these issues and I am very confident that within a few years we will have thousands of students a year in NYC that have the appropriate skills to get a software engineering job or internship and we will also have built the programs to connect these students with these employers and these jobs.
But in the interim there is ScriptEd. ScriptEd creates pathways to careers in tech for youth at under-resourced high schools. In 30 schools around the city, students take a year-long class which covers HTML, CSS, and Javascript and is taught by software developers who volunteer their time twice weekly. ScriptEd also offers an Advanced Class for second- and third-year students, hosted at companies around the city.
One of the most unique and impactful components of ScriptEd’s work is their internship program. In the summers, students put their skills to work in paid internships at companies like About.com, Rent the Runway and Thrillist. This year, ScriptEd aims to place over 120 highly qualified interns, giving these students real-life opportunities to launch careers in tech.
This is where you come in: ScriptEd is growing fast and has many qualified students seeking internship opportunities. In order to expand the internship program, they need to find new companies to host student interns. ScriptEd is looking to partner with companies with at least 40 NYC-based employees and at least 3-4 developers on staff. Companies commit to host students for 5 weeks, from July 11th to August 12th, to pay students a stipend, and to provide mentorship as the students work on projects.
Participation in ScriptEd’s internship program is an investment in NYC’s tech community. This is a concrete way for companies to help create a larger, more diverse tech talent pipeline, all while offering students a life-changing opportunity.
In addition to contribution to a long-term solution to the tech talent shortage, there are immediate returns on company investment:
Employee Development: 87% of volunteer teachers say they are better at their jobs as a result of volunteering with ScriptEd.
Past internship partners report that team members working with interns gain management skills, critical experience learning how to explain technical concepts clearly in plain English, and exposure to diversity.
Employee Retention: 91% of ScriptEd’s volunteer teachers feel that they have made a significant and meaningful impact on their students’ lives. Internship partners report that team members enjoy the creative outlet of working on new and interesting projects with the students, and feel pride in sharing their passion for technology with the next generation.
To learn more about ScriptEd internships or sign up to host, contact Kate Holzman at [email protected]scripted.org. You can also check out their Internship Brochure and Annual Report.
