Scholarships, Internships, and Corporate Programs for Black, Latinx and Indigenous Students

As it currently stands, representation of black, latinx, and other people of color in tech at any level of the most prominent companies is unreflective of those populations' proportions in the US, let alone the rest of the world. Nevertheless, CUNY2X, and this handbook in particular, want to provide as many resources as possible. There are, of course, a number of pages that provide an ease of traversal for any stage of CS competency within this handbook. Here are some avenues for scholarships, internship programs, and other assistance specifically geared towards helping students of underrepresented groups.

Resources/Events

Black Girls CODE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the number of women of color in the digital technology space by the year 2040 by introducing girls ages 7-17 to computer science. Our goal is to empower these young women to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders + creators. Volunteer efforts for BGC is an option (BGC's Eventbrite Listings would also be a good thing to keep tabs on).

Code2040 is a more generalized effort towards increased representation and inclusion in the tech and innovation spheres (Mission). You can have a look at their upcoming events

Jopwell is a resource that represents black, Latinx, and Native career-seekers. One can seek career advice and they partner with many companies such as Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, and others for recruiting events to attend.

devcolor is a blog "to give Black engineers a place to learn about what it takes to reach the highest levels of leadership in tech. Additionally, we want to give everyone a chance to learn about how we see our communities, technology, and the world."

Hack Diversity "[partners] with employers to tap into the full potential of the talent landscape by bridging Black and Latine/x technologists into the field and helping organizations evolve systems-wide practice to drive retention and promotion of that talent."

All Star Code is a CS education program geared towards young black and Latino men. It aims to prep young adults of these communities for the tech economy and help bridge its wealth, income, and opportunity gaps. There is a virtual benefit event occurring 7/25/20

National Society of Black Engineers is an extensive resource for assistance geared towards tech and engineering hopefuls in the black community from pre-college all the way up to career fulfilment. To that latter end, membership gives one access to job boards, advice from professionals in Fortune 500 companies, and more.

SHPE gives STEM students and career-seekers in the latinx community avenues towards success. Their programs include events, courses, webinars, and more.

Scholarships

The NBCUniversal/LNESC Scholarship is for undergraduate Latinx students pursuing a Bachelor's degree at an accredited university. To be eligible they must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be a legal US citizen. The scholarship awards $5,000. Deadline 7/22/20

Girls Who Illustrate Awesomeness awards $750 to women or gender non-comforming students of color currently enrolled in college with a minimum 3.0 GPA. The submission must be a 500 word essay or a 5-minute video that answers the question "who are you, and how are you going to change the world?" Deadline 12/1/20

SME Education Foundation Scholarships awards undergraduates or graduates pursuing a degree in manufacturing, engineering, technology or related studies with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Deadline 2/1/2021

The Dr. Wynetta A Frazier Sister to Sister Scholarship awards $500 to black women who pursue post-secondary education for the first time after being unable to previously due to familial or personal difficulties. Applicants must be at a minimum age of 21 for eligibility. Deadline 3/1/2021

The Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program awards up to $5,000 to high-achieving underrepresented, low-income, or first-generation students who have a minimum 3.5 GPA and are majoring in subjects such as math, science, engineering, and others. Students need not be a US Citizen and they must have proof of their college attendance; it is highly suggested to get a faculty recommendation. Deadline 3/13/21

The Herbert Lehman Education Fund Scholarship awards up to $8,000 to African-American first-year undergraduate students or students transferring to an accredited four-year university in financial need (a family income under $65,000 a year). In addition, a demonstrated commitment to public service must be determined. Deadline 4/24/2021

The Jesse L Jackson Fellows Toyota Scholarship grants up to $25,000 to African-American college sophomores with a minimum 3.0 GPA who are majoring in a STEM discipline that could be applied to the automotive industry, have demonstrated participation in community service, and have a need for financial assistance. Deadline 5/1/2021

The Leon Bradley Scholarship awards up to $3,500 for minorities or people of color entering the field of teaching or school leadership. It is awarded twice to a student in their final year of teaching prep/student teaching Deadline 5/31/2021

Microsoft Tuition Scholarship Program encourages underrepresented groups in STEM, especially computer science, to apply for this award. Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA Variable Deadline

The Morgan Stanley Richard B Fisher Scholarship Program is for black, latinx, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ sophomores and juniors who are achieving academically; they will receive financial assistance and a summer internship prior to their junior or senior year in college. Variable Deadline

Catching The Dream awards scholarships in a range of $500 to $5000 per year to Indigenous students based on merit. In addition, the organization can help track a student's progress in search of scholarships.

The Intertribal Timber Council contains many avenues to scholarship for Indigenous students, including their own Truman D. Picard scholarship.

The National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Techincal Professionals Inc. established the Out to Innovate Scholarship for LGBTQ+ students in STEM to award $5,000 to one undergrad and $5,000 to one grad during the fall semester. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA at minimum, have already completed two years of undergraduate study, be an active supporter of organizations that benefit LGBTQ+, and proven enrollment in the fall semester.

The Great Minds in STEM Scholarship is for undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups studying STEM.

Internship Programs

TwitterU has a few key programs that aim to help out diverse communities. There is a 12-week paid program for second year CS students. There are also opportunities for onsite experiences of one to five days. Students can stay up to date on TwitterU resources as well.

STEP (Student Training in Engineering Program) is a 12-week internship for first and second-year undergraduate students with a passion for computer science. The internship program has a focus of providing development opportunities to students from groups historically underrepresented in tech, through technical training and professional development.

Explore Microsoft is a 12-week program that gives first and second year students hands-on experience in software engineer roles in addition to experience using programming languages in a direct capacity. It encourages enrollment of first and second year black, indigenous, and latinx college students.

Outreachy's remote internships occur every year from May to August and pair up interns with mentors from open source communities. Programming, data science, UX, and other many aspects are among the knowledge areas of Outreachy's mentors. Their priority is to hire people from underrepresented groups in tech. Also, there is a stipend of $5,500 for interns and an additional $500 for conferences.

Palantir Path is an internship for sophomores and juniors to get a more hands on aspect of their technical studies. In addition to training, the program aims to put learners alongside full-time engineers and analysts and Palantir's clients to make impactful decisions for the company's business. The program strongly encourages African-American, Latinx, Native, LGBTQ and other students from underrepresented groups to apply.

Facebook University for Engineers is an 8-week paid training program for groups underrepresented in Computer Science to hone their abilities in mobile development. First and second year undergrads are eligible for the program. It consists of three weeks of mobile development training and five weeks of hands-on project work in teams.

Year Up, as an organization, offers a way forward from education to career by helping students gain technical and professional skills for their discipline. Of particular note is that the organization strongly encourages DACA students to participate.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has three internship programs (during the Fall, Spring, and Summer) for Latinx students with a minimum 3.0 GPA and work authorization. The 2020 dates have passed, but info for 2021 internships should be available in the coming months.