👩🏿‍💻 J Shelly (They/Them/Theirs), MIM’s Post

Alternative STEM education programs are gaining traction as viable paths to tech jobs, providing a non-college route for individuals seeking careers in technology. These programs, often free or low-cost and of short duration, focus on practical skills and real-world applications rather than traditional academic degrees. They include bootcamps, online courses, and certifications in areas like coding, data analysis, and cybersecurity. These alternatives are designed to be accessible and flexible, catering to diverse learning styles and schedules. They often feature hands-on projects, industry partnerships, and job placement support, which can accelerate the transition into tech roles. By prioritizing skills over credentials, these programs offer a pragmatic approach for those who may not have the time or resources for a four-year degree, but are eager to enter the tech workforce. #STEM #Education #Learning #Skills #Students #TechTrends #Innovation

🌟 Empowering Students from Challenging Backgrounds in IT 🌟 As educators, we have the incredible opportunity to shape the future of our students, especially those from beaten backgrounds. 1. Tailored Curriculum: Develop a curriculum that emphasizes real-world IT applications, ensuring students learn in-demand skills like programming, cybersecurity, and data analysis. 2. Mentorship Programs: Establish mentorship initiatives connecting students with IT professionals who can guide them and open networking doors. 3. Skill Development Workshops: Organize coding boot camps and workshops on emerging technologies, along with soft skills training to prepare them for the workforce. 4. Access to Technology: Advocate for and provide access to computers and necessary software, and consider creating a tech lab for hands-on practice. 5. Community Engagement: Collaborate with local businesses for internship opportunities and organize hackathons to foster teamwork and innovation. 6. Promote Inclusivity: Create an inclusive classroom environment that celebrates diversity and highlights role models in tech to inspire all students. 7. Support Services: Work with schools to offer mental health and academic support services, helping students overcome challenges they face outside the classroom. 8. Alumni Networks: Foster connections with alumni who can mentor current students and provide job placement opportunities. 9. Focus on Soft Skills: Teach essential soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication, which are crucial in IT roles. 10. Encourage Lifelong Learning: Instill a growth mindset in students, encouraging them to pursue continuous learning and professional development. Together, we can create an empowering and enriching environment that equips students for success in the IT industry. Let’s commit to nurturing the next generation of tech innovators! 💻🌍✨ #Education #IT #DiversityInTech #Mentorship #Empowerment #TechForGood #byteXL #dbuu

International exposure is great at any age but especially for students in elementary and secondary education. Amanda Crawford Pathways in Technology Early College High School Alumni earned a silver medal in the 2016 Carifta Games competing for Grenada in Grenada. This 2024, another New York City track and field athlete, D'Angelo Brown competed for Grenada in Grenada and earned a silver medal. (Brown is not a P-TECH student) Amanda earned the 2-year FREE CTE/STEM college degree in her 12th grade year. She was a multiple high school All-American for track and field. She earned a skills-based paid internship with IBM during her junior year of high school. Amanda showed that the STEM Skills do transfer by earning her 4-year degree Saint Augustine’s University, her MBA and and Advanced Certificate from Texas Tech University MDRC P-TECH 9-14 Pathways to Success: Implementation, Impact, and Cost Findings from the New York City P-TECH 9-14 Schools Evaluation New findings in this report indicate that the P-TECH model increased students' postsecondary degree completion, particularly for male students, and boosted internship and dual enrollment rates, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://lnkd.in/e54rSYKT "By the end of the first year of postsecondary education, 2.6 percent of female and 1.8 percent of male P-TECH 9-14 students had earned degrees, compared with virtually no students from the comparison group, of either gender. These impacts for both genders are statistically significant". PTECH Brooklyn HS Alumni Network NYC Department of Education The City University of New York City Tech, CUNY IBM iX The State University of New York New York State Education Department www.ptech.org

"𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿…𝗢𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘂𝗺𝗶, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿. These were the words my mentor, Paul Andrew told me as the year began winding down. And he was absolutely right. ✨ 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲! 🎉 Let me take you back a little… While searching for internships online, I stumbled across Outreachy. Its mission to empower individuals from underrepresented groups in tech immediately resonated with me. But at the time, I had no clue how to proceed, so I moved on. Fast forward to the Tech4Dev Women Techsters Fellowship orientation. Alumni shared their incredible Outreachy journeys and how the program opened doors for them. They broke down the application process, demystifying it completely. That day, I made up my mind: “𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.” 💡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 I applied for the May 2024 Outreachy round and contributed to the Ersilia project. It was my first time working on open-source contributions—and what a ride it was! At the time, I was collaborating on a cross-functional project for WT Fellowship, volunteering to promote STEM education for girls in secondary schools during IWD 2024. It was a whirlwind, but I gave it my all. Yet, I wasn’t selected for that round. Did it sting? Absolutely. I ranted, reflected, and then strategized. I connected with someone who had been selected, learned from them, studied successful contributions, and made a plan: “𝘞𝘦 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥. 💡 𝗪𝗵𝘆 Ersilia 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝘁 Ersilia is a free, open-source repository of pre-trained AI/ML models for drug discovery and global health. They’re using AI to tackle infectious and neglected diseases in low-income countries. As someone with a chemistry background, a passion for tech, and roots in a low-income country, I was deeply drawn to their mission. Ersilia aligns perfectly with my background, tech skills, values and my desire to use technology to drive meaningful impact. 𝗠𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁: 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 Over the next few months, I will be working at the intersection of machine learning, software engineering, and global health i.e. developing innovative solutions for open-source projects learning from and collaborating with an incredible community. I am grateful to Outreachy and Ersilia for this opportunity. This is more than just an internship, it is an opportunity to grow, collaborate, and make a difference in tech. 💭 𝗧𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁𝘀: Your story isn0t over. Keep pushing, learning, and showing up. Here’s to making an impact, one step at a time! 🌟 #Outreachy #OpenSource #AI #MachineLearning #GlobalHealth

I have known TalentSprint since 2021 for their impactful bootcamps designed for women. Trained by industry experts, these women are positioned for high-growth careers, achieving their dream jobs in tech. To make your dream job a reality, what matters is the right skillset, along with the right mentorship and awareness, to nail that job, isn't it? The need for more women in tech is higher than ever as companies are working towards meeting their diversity goals. To help nurture more women in tech, TalentSprint has once again come up with a first-of-its-kind program, the Women in Software Engineering (WISE) program. Tailored exclusively for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year women engineering students to become world-class software engineers. To make this program more accessible, TalentSprint is offering a upto 80% merit-based scholarship on the program fee. They have a unique pedagogy of learning to learn, by doing, with peers and without fear - a proven formula for success. You are eligible for WISE if: - You are a woman student currently in your 2nd/3rd/4th year of B.E. or B. Tech degree. - Your specialization is in IT, CSE, ECE, EEE, AIML, or a related field. - You are passionate about building a promising tech career. - Scored over 70% in both X and XII. Check out the link in the first comment and register for their FREE Aptitude test to unlock a scholarship today. #womenintech #coding #wise #collab

🌟 A Quick Intro to Me and My Career 🌟 I recently had the chance to share my story and experiences in a get-to-know-me session with Savient Limited!🚀 If you'd like to know more about me or the Savient Academy, please have a read-through and let me know your thoughts😊 I’d love to hear from others who have been on a similar path or are on a similar journey, if you have any advice or questions for someone just starting out in the tech industry, please drop a comment below or pop me a message! #CareerGrowth #TechCareers #SoftwareEngineering #WomenInTech

As we celebrate National Careers Week, nFocus Testing urges for a broader inclusion of STEM subjects in primary and early secondary education. The reality is that the jobs of tomorrow are yet to be invented, and today's children need exposure to a diverse range of STEM fields early on. Ryan James, Managing Director of nFocus Testing, emphasises the need for schools to act now to bridge the digital skills gap. Technology evolves rapidly, and it's crucial to empower the next generation with the skills to navigate and contribute to this ever-changing landscape. What are your thoughts on this? Read further at https://buff.ly/49CwEzc #STEMEducation #FutureTechLeaders #NationalCareersWeek #TechInnovation

Check out these opportunities for WOMEN IN STEM and Girls In Tech MPOWER Financing Women in STEM Scholarship 2025. MPOWER believes in addressing inequality in education. In recognition of the extraordinary potential of women in the sciences, we created the MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship. You don’t need to be an MPOWER borrower to apply! In keeping with MPOWER’s commitment to empower high-potential global citizens to realize their educational aspirations – and become tomorrow’s leading scientists and innovators – this international scholarship program focuses on women who will use their STEM degree to benefit society and the planet and who have the potential to serve as role models and advocates for women in STEM. APPLY HERE https://lnkd.in/e9EMpmnc TechGirls US Summer Exchange Program 2025(FULLY FUNDED)TechGirls is a U.S.-based summer exchange program designed to empower and support young women (ages 15-17) from the United States and select countries around the world to pursue higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields through hands-on skills development training. APPLY HERE https://lnkd.in/dpbVq7nw

We’re excited to share the next chapter in the development of Hooked On, a platform built to inspire and empower the next generation of STEM professionals! 🚀 What Is Hooked On? Hooked On is a networking platform that bridges the gap between STEM students and experienced professionals. Designed for students aged 13-20, the app allows them to: Connect with mentors for guidance, internships, and career advice. Use our unique Worm Coin system, earning credits by engaging with the platform to book one-on-one time with professionals. Showcase their skills and achievements to potential mentors, creating valuable connections to shape their STEM journeys. Our mission is to make mentorship accessible, engaging, and rewarding, helping students turn their career aspirations into reality. The Journey So Far This year, our team proudly brought Hooked On to life through the SkillsUSA Entrepreneurship competition. After earning silver at districts and competing at the state level, we demonstrated the strength of our vision and the determination of our team. Meet the Team Hamid Dairo – A talented graphic designer and entrepreneur with experience in branding, website design, and leading business development efforts. Gabriel Babalola – A skilled coder and sales representative with expertise in Java, Python, and creating marketing strategies to grow user engagement. Ethan Aguilar – A STEM advocate and robotics champion with leadership experience in STEM organizations and a strong background in team management. Juan Pablo Lopez Gonzalez – A debate team veteran with a proven ability in public speaking and marketing ideas, contributing creative approaches to audience outreach. Fardin Ferdous – A University of Houston student and experienced sales representative with skills in marketing and advertising, vital for promoting Hooked On effectively. Together, we are committed to driving this idea forward with innovation, determination, and collaboration. Our Call to Action We’re planning to launch Hooked On in the future and are actively seeking STEM professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators interested in supporting this vision. If you’re passionate about mentorship and want to help with advice, product development, or building this platform, we’d love to hear from you! Let’s work together to revolutionize the way students and professionals connect, inspire, and grow. Stay tuned for updates, and let’s build a brighter future for STEM careers! #HookedOn #STEM #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #FutureLeaders