Plinio Ayala, CEO of Per Scholas, visits students in a computer lab at a Bronx public school. The laptops were donated by Per Scholas.
Per Scholas is a national nonprofit organization that breaks the cycle of poverty by providing technology education, access, training and job placement services for people 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.
Now, in addition to continuing this formative work, we operate the state-licensed Per Scholas Institute for Technology, the largest and oldest professional IT workforce development program in New York City. We’ve also embarked on an ambitious national expansion, with a new location in Columbus, OH, slated to open during 2012.
We are grateful for the support we receive from many partners, including some of the nation’s leading foundations and corporations. We work closely with elected and appointed government officials and public agencies, as well as a large network of other community service providers. More than 250 volunteers contribute to our work each year.
We are excited about our future and the opportunities we are creating for thousands of economically dispossessed and dislocated workers, their families and communities. We hope you will join with us!
