It’s a fact: Minorities and women traditionally have been underrepresented in the IT space. According to the Brookings Institute, less than 7% of computing and math-related jobs are held by people who are Black and Latino. And while women are faring better, they still only represent about 30% of the workforce in computer and mathematical occupations, according to the institute. Clearly, there is more work to be done in creating a balanced, diverse IT workforce.
At MediaOps, one of the traits I believe helps define this company is inclusiveness, recognizing the value each person in our organization brings to the table. Different educations, different backgrounds, different perspectives … they all help us see the world in a different light and make decisions that are rooted less in biases and more with a deeper understanding fomented by the populations each of us represents. This, I believe, is fundamental in achieving balance; by recognizing and celebrating our differences, we create a strong, unified organization.
Be the Change
It is with the goals of diversity and inclusiveness that MediaOps is proud to announce “Engineer the Change,” a scholarship program in conjunction with Boca Code, an immersive coding school that provides in-depth technical training. MediaOps will sponsor two scholarships annually to students from disadvantaged communities interested in pursuing a career in the tech industry. The scholarships, each valued at $10,000, will enable students to enroll in the flagship Software Engineering Career Course at Boca Code.
The “Engineer the Change” scholarships will be awarded to two deserving recipients on an annual basis. To be eligible, applicants must be 18 years or older and be part of an underrepresented community. To be considered, applicants will be required to submit an essay detailing how they can serve as role models to other disadvantaged individuals hoping to acquire the skills to become successful tech workers, and what type of career in the tech industry they are hoping to pursue. While the idea is to help the South Florida tech community, applicants can apply from anywhere, as long as they include in their application essay why they are coming to South Florida to launch their tech career.
Submissions for the first scholarship for the Software Engineering session, taking place April 5-June 4, are now open. The deadline to apply is March 15. The second scholarship application process will open Aug. 1 for the session taking place Sept. 20-Dec. 3.
To learn more about how to apply for the scholarship, please visit: https://mediaops.com/engineer-the-change/
Get Involved
MediaOps is offering these scholarships because we believe diversity enriches everything. We encourage other companies to do their part to help promote diversity and inclusiveness, both within their organization and through programs targeting underrepresented communities locally or regionally. It is time for the IT sector to do its part in promoting technology to women, minorities and other traditionally underrepresented groups; only by getting involved today will we help shape the next generation of technology workers.
