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At the end of the year, we are looking back and celebrating all we have accomplished. One of Hack the Hood’s biggest accomplishments in 2019 was cultivating and solidifying partnerships with schools and community based organizations to provide Bootcamp workshops and after school programs on site to them to reach more young people. And there is no better example of this partnership model working out so well like Alameda Point Collaborative. We can go on and on about all the reasons why this partnership model is efficient and effective but really, Marque, our program partner at APC, nails it when he speaks to what the Hack the Hood partnership model provides: “Having proficiency in tools and technology is one thing and having the ability to feel confident when you meet new people and take new risks is another thing. It is wonderful to be around people who are so skilled in transferring that feeling to young people.”
In 2020, we are looking forward to providing both the tools to hone technical skills AND professional skills to build more confident young leaders that will continue to re-shape access into tech careers.
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In the spirit of giving, gifts come up a lot: what gifts to give, what gifts to receive. But here is question that Anthony Holloway, Hack the Hood Volunteer, brings up: What gifts do you have that you can share with others around you? According to Anthony, we all have gifts and we are all “obligated to share them.” He isn’t referring to the gifts we can wrap up with a bow. He is talking about the innate goodness in all of us and how we all have something to give and share with others to be that nudge, like he refers, to make a difference in the lives of others. As we close our office for the next few days, we encourage you to think about the gifts you have that you can share with others. What do they look like? And more importantly, how could your gifts impact the lives of others?
We are always so grateful for the community that surrounds us with their giving this time of year and all year round. If you haven’t yet and can, consider giving to Hack the Hood today. Meet Ahmed Ali Bob, the Community Affairs Lead at Square and active supporter and advocate of Hack the Hood. Ahmed and Square have been champions in providing various opportunities to expose Bay Area young people to the tech sector and elevating their own economic mobility by hosting Hack the Hood cohorts at their community space, engaging with our small businesses partners, speaking at our graduations and events, and helping us fundraise for more years of impactful work! Ahmed and Square support our mission to diversify tech workforce and put value to action under the shared belief that the underrepresented communities we serve have “the skills and the experience necessary to thrive.” We are beyond grateful for their partnership and consider them a vital partner within the Hack the Hood community. For 2020, Hack the Hood will be launching various professional development opportunities to expose Bay Area young people to tech jobs through direct placement such as internships and pre-apprenticeships. We are doing this because more needs to be doneand it takes a coalition comprised of Hack the Hood, educators, and companies like Square to come together to build the next steps toward economic opportunity for underrepresented communities and their ability to gain access to sustainable careers in the communities they live in. As said by Ahmed, “we are looking forward to supporting our employees to work in the community they live in.” With your help and support, Hack the Hood will launch programs and workforce opportunities to ensure that all community members have equitable access to local tech sector career opportunities in the years to come.
In the past two weeks, you have met Brayan and Claudia - two of Hack the Hood’s growing group of community members. Now, to further introduce you to more of the great people that make Hack the Hood special, meet Jeanette. As Jeanette mentioned, when she discovered Hack the Hood, she was going through a life change and was looking for something different. Her experience with Hack the Hood’s Bootcamp and introduction to web design didn’t just propel her forward to start her own business, Labios Mios, but also allowed her to put action to her values of elevating Latina representation, promoting vegan beauty products, and supporting her community by helping other small businesses with their websites.
We are so lucky to have Jeanette join our Spring 2019 Bootcamp and proud to watch her go from being intimidated by tech to using it to empower herself and her community. It is Hack the Hood’s goal in 2020 to make sure more values are being turned into action and your gift today can kick start that mission - and make sure your values are reflected into action too. It takes all of us to make sure values move the needle. Last week, we introduced the Hack the Hood community to Brayan, a budding tech professional whose story inspired many community members to give on Giving Tuesday to Hack the Hood. To further celebrate the work Hack the Hood has done in 2019 and lift up more of the community members within the organization, meet Claudia Rivas. Claudia is the owner of Oakland-based Senorita Vegerita and participated in Hack the Hood’s Bootcamp as Brayan’s co-collaborator in designing her small business’s website. Yes, Hack the Hood introduces under-resourced youth of color to careers in tech by training them in 21st century relevant coding and design skills to leverage access to careers in tech, the economy they live in, and elevate their own economic mobility.
But Hack the Hood doesn’t stop there. By connecting students to small businesses, that commitment to economic access is stretched to even more Bay Area community members to cultivate prosperity in the place they call home. To close out 2019, we will be introducing you to more Hack the Hood community members to further show how far our efforts go to create economic impact for the Bay Area. We hope, after getting to know them all, you feel inspired and encouraged to further support our efforts for an even more impactful 2020. Stay tuned to meet more of the Hack the Hood family! In honor of Giving Tuesday and Hack the Hood’s 2019 Community Giving Challenge, we would like to introduce you to Hack the Hood alumni, Brayan. After participating in Hack the Hood’s first 9-week Bootcamp and partnering with Claudia Rivas, owner of Señorita Vegerita, to design her small catering business’s website, 22-year-old Brayan was hungry for more. With more confidence, inspiration, and a new passion for UX/UI design, Brayan has said yes to opportunity after opportunity to further his career and curiosity. Most recently, Brayan was selected for the Adobe Digital Academy Scholarship, which opens the door to him attending the User Experience Design Immersive at General Assembly. After graduating from GA, Brayan will be eligible to join a three to six month technical internship at Adobe.
Now, this doesn’t just happen and, in fact, it takes a lot of work. Brayan has put in a ton of work and Hack the Hood has been there every step of the way supporting him through the ups and downs. Just like Brayan says, “We are gonna come across these challenges, these barriers, these imposter syndromes. And it is normal. We don’t have a lot of people like us in [tech] communities but we have the right to be.” Hack the Hood agrees. Young people of color have the right to be in tech communities, gaining access to good careers and gainful economic mobility. Do you agree? Agree by donating today. Your financial support of Hack the Hood goes directly toward funding programs like our spring bootcamp, where young people like Brayan gain exposure to careers in tech and begin managing their small business clients for the first time. Be a part of the movement of young tech innovators who not only want to change the face of tech but have aspirations of transforming the entire industry. Donate here or create a team and get that team to donate collectively to Hack the Hood. Even better: tell your friends and family about our campaign too! The Bay Area can be a place where young people of color gain access to good tech jobs and it can start with your donation. Better yet: become a recurring monthly donor to make sure that statement continues all year long! |
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