SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Springboard, an industry-leading online learning platform preparing students for in-demand careers through comprehensive, mentor-led programs, today announces a major monetary commitment and the launch of the Springboard Inclusion Scholarship Program as part of a significant step in the organization’s mission to transform one million lives by 2030. Aimed at increasing access to Springboard’s career-transforming learning programs to support equal opportunities for underrepresented talent and needs-based individuals, the new initiative will support students in their pursuit of in-demand skills for tech careers. In addition, Springboard announces the formation of a coalition of leading DEI-committed organizations to expand the reach and impact of the program.
The Springboard Inclusion Scholarship Program will be anchored by a series of new scholarship offerings, ranging from partial, half, and full tuition scholarships awarded to students who demonstrate need from underserved groups. At inception, the program is committed to providing $10 million in scholarship funds through the year 2030, echoing its transformative goal to change lives through equal opportunity and access to education. Additionally, in an effort to surpass its $10 million commitment, Springboard is encouraging other mission-aligned companies to reach out to learn how they can get involved in support of matching the scholarship goal in an effort to double the commitment by 2030. To date, Springboard has already provided over $3 million in scholarships to increase student access to its program offerings, through a mix of self-funding and contributions from existing partners including Microsoft. Springboard recognizes its ability to make an outsized impact on diversity across the industry by committing further resources.
In tandem with this financial commitment, Springboard has also established 2030 targets for the diversity of its student body, which represent the most ambitious commitment by any leading learning platform. Springboard is confidently committing to increase enrollment of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to 40% of the student body by 2030, surpassing estimated 2030 national averages for US demographic. Additionally, Springboard is committed to continuing excellence in gender diversity by maintaining its current 50% enrollment level of women and gender non-conforming students. Following a year in which an extensive talent gap was widened by the creation of 245,500 net new tech jobs, fostering and supporting the development of new, qualified talent for in-demand tech roles is paramount. Springboard is also committed to matching student representation targets in its full-time employee population, working with its internal diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging taskforce, as well as recruiting and hiring teams, in pursuit of this goal.
“We must lower the barriers to entry for tech careers in order to address current challenges like the omnipresent gender, race and demographic opportunity gaps – financial, educational and structural support are essential for sustained change,” said Springboard’s Chief Executive Officer Gautam Tambay. He adds, “The skills gap in tech careers isn't just a challenge, but an opportunity to restructure how talent is identified and educated to fundamentally make the tech industry more diverse. This fund looks toward a 2030 where tech is a much more inclusive industry. The Springboard Inclusion Scholarship Program is a meaningful step toward a better system that helps underrepresented people to thrive in tech.”
In addition, Springboard has created a coalition of like-minded companies and non-profit organizations in order to increase access to these newly launched resources and spread awareness to their extensive networks of prospective learners. Springboard’s launch partners include Microsoft, PowerToFly, JVS, SEO, ACCES and Blacks in Technology. Blacks in Technology, a global platform for black women and men in technology, is committing additional funding to provide full tuition scholarships to amplify the impact of Springboard’s program. Springboard is actively seeking additional corporate partnerships to further expand the program, and encourages interested organizations to reach out to inclusion@springboard.com.
“We celebrate the Springboard Inclusion Scholarship Program as an important step toward opening up new pathways into the tech industry for black men and women,” said Dennis Schultz, Executive Director at Blacks in Technology. “We want to be part of the change and emphasize how important financial accessibility is to creating a truly diverse and inclusive industry, so we’re thrilled to commit additional resources to this program.”
Springboard’s Inclusion Scholarship Program introduces a variety of new scholarship offerings for existing and prospective students, with the ability to provide scholarships to over 1,000 people annually:
- A Women in Tech scholarship for students who identify as female.
- A Diversity in Tech scholarship for students included in one of the following groups: gender non-conforming; LGBTQIA+; veterans or US military; people with disabilities; refugees; and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups including Black or African American, Latinx or Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Native American or Alaska Native, and Middle Eastern individuals.
- A Needs-Based scholarship for anyone with an annual income below $30,000.
- A Half Tuition scholarship for those eligible for both the underserved group and needs-based scholarships. Eligible students are judged on merit-based criteria, and scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis based on essay submission time.
- A Full Tuition scholarship for those eligible for both the underserved group and needs-based scholarships. Eligible students are judged on merit-based criteria, and scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis based on essay submission time.
Prospective students are encouraged to inquire about opportunities in order to see if they qualify. For further information about the Inclusion Scholarship Program and eligibility requirements, or to apply for the newly launched scholarships, please visit springboard.com/how-it-works/scholarships.
About Springboard
Founded by Parul Gupta and Gautam Tambay in 2013, Springboard is on a mission to transform one million lives through education by 2030. Springboard believes that each student is unique, and needs a learning experience designed to fit their life’s pace, supported by advisors and mentors. More than 20,000 students across 100+ countries have used Springboard to advance their careers through the platform’s comprehensive, mentor-led online learning programs. Graduates have landed jobs with employers like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Reddit, Facebook, and Boeing. Springboard has also trained corporate teams at Visa, Gusto, and The North Face. Springboard was recently named one of the 2022 GSV EdTech 150 — a list of the world’s most transformative growth companies in digital learning. Springboard is a 2020 Inc. 5000 company based in San Francisco, recently named a Top Workplace for Women by Elpha and a Top 100 Workplace with the Best D&I Initiatives in 2021 by Mogul, and is backed by leading venture capital firms including Telstra Ventures, Vulcan Capital, SJF Ventures, Reach Capital, Pearson Ventures, International Finance Corp., Costanoa Ventures, Learn Capital, and Blue Fog Capital.
