Per Scholas Inc

“Indisputable proof that the American Dream still lives.” - Robin Hood Foundation

Per Scholas is a national nonprofit organization that breaks the cycle of poverty by providing technology education, access, training and job placement to those underrepresented in the technology industry.

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. In 1999, Per Scholas expanded into workforce development, launching the first tuition-free IT job training and placement program in the region.  In 2012, we began to scale our operations. Today we offer our courses in 23 cities across the country with additional campuses on the horizon. 

The Per Scholas St. Louis campus launched in July 2022, focusing on the Greater St. Louis Metro area with special emphasis on reaching those neighborhoods with the largest number of under or unemployed residents. We strive to promote upward economic mobility, especially for individuals in historically marginalized communities, and to help power economic development by building a more diverse, skilled, and thriving technological workforce.  Currently, we are focusing on IT Support and Cybersecurity for our St. Louis campus to best meet the needs of local employers.

Per Scholas St. Louis provides comprehensive, free IT professional training, placement and ongoing support services with a goal of reaching over 150 high-potential adults this year through in-person and remote training opportunities.  In our first two years of programming in St. Louis, we have enrolled 177 individuals into our immersive courses.  

PER SCHOLAS STATISTICS:

• Per Scholas takes advantage of the evolving economy and has trained nearly over 25,000 individuals over its history with the competitive skills to establish careers as IT professionals.
• Per Scholas enrolls low- to moderate-income adults (18+) with a high school diploma or equivalency for our entry-level courses. We define low to moderate income as 80% (or less) of the Area's Median Income. Our St. Louis learners have an average pre-training wage of just $23,000 per year.  
• 85% of students graduate from our training. 80% of those graduates land jobs within one year after completing training.

• Our learners represent the diverse St. Louis community with 40% identifying as women, 80% as persons of color, 41% are young adults (age 18-29), and 66% had at most high school education.  

• Approximately 10% of our St. Louis learners are veterans or current members of the military.  

For more information, read our history at www.perscholas.org