SiteCapture, a company producing field operations software for the solar, single-family residential, and construction industries, has made a donation to the educational nonprofit Hack the Hood.
Kamal Shah, CEO of SiteCapture, has been a board member of the Oakland, CA-based organization since it started.
“I love their mission and their unique approach to promoting diversity in tech—something that we have a lot of room to improve on,” says Shah. “They offer opportunities for youth in our local communities to learn and have pathways to tech careers.”
Hack the Hood provides technological skill development opportunities to young people ages 16-25 in communities of color. The group provides its educational programs free to all participants, who also receive a learning stipend and the use of a laptop. In addition to providing training, the organization also offers career workshops to eliminate barriers to finding careers in tech.
“We have communities with smart, motivated, hard-working youth that don’t have clear pathways to technology careers,” says Shah. “Giving them opportunities provides them with upward mobility to help their families, strengthen our local communities, and bring diversity and new ideas into the tech world.”
Some of the specific programs offered by Hack the Hood include:
- hustle: Tech Foundations – This program gives learners with no prior tech knowledge a foundational understanding of Python and Github plus user experience (UX) basics.
- build: Data Science – Once students have gained basic tech skills, this program teaches them to use critical thinking to apply their Python knowledge to solve data problems.
- drive: Your Career Pathway – This year-long program helps young adults navigate toward a future as data analysts and software engineers. A combination of the Hack the Hood curriculum to level up students’ programming skills and courses at Laney College, this program gives students the support they need to earn a certificate or degree in Computer Information Systems and achieve their career goals.
Hack the Hood programs offer a mix of educational formats like lectures and hands-on, interactive activities, and help young people develop a ‘social justice through tech’ lens.
To learn more about Hack the Hood and see how you can help, check out their current volunteer and mentorship opportunities
