Zia Consulting has been interested for some time in establishing a tech job program that would help low-income young adults in the Denver/Boulder region; Zia recently became familiar with the highly successful program established by the Chicago based non-profit: i.c.stars and knew immediately this program needed to expand to Denver.
i.c.stars is a nonprofit that provides IT programs for low-income young adults with high potential. The i.c.stars program provides hands-on experience by immersing participants in real world situations in the tech industry. Participants earn Associates degrees during the course of the program and are placed into permanent positions upon completion of the program. The learning experience not only includes technical skills, but also incorporates leadership and business acumen acquired through mentorship.
i.c.stars’ target audience for participation in this program are low-income, young adults 18-27, that have either a GED or high school diploma and have financial responsibilities other than themselves (e.g. caregiver for relative, parent, etc). Most often, these young adults have limited access to education and employment.
Zia is helping i.c.stars with the first steps of expansion to the Denver area by working to identify local leaders who are interested in becoming a part of the Denver i.c.stars Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will be charged with identifying local needs, molding the program to meet local demographic and economical needs, and to create and execute the first i.c.stars test program in Denver.
Are you someone who is interested in joining the Denver i.c.stars Steering Committee or do you know someone who is? Please contact: Rebecca de Wardt, Zia Consulting @ rdewardt@ziaconsulting.com
Want to learn more about i.c.stars? Watch their youtube video or visit https://www.icstars.org