During the Covid pandemic, Bronx native Shannon noticed how the increased reliance on technology affected her family and friends, disrupting work and schooling, and access to important services. She also noted a corresponding rise in cybercriminals preying upon a new wave of online users, especially the elderly and adolescents. At the time, Shannon was attending virtual classes at a local college, studying computer science and aspiring for a career in cybersecurity while juggling a job and financial responsibilities that threatened her career prospects. Then, she saw a life-changing story on the evening news.
“There was a feature on The Knowledge House (TKH) on News 12 New York,” she said. “It spotlighted the great work of this national non-profit, founded and based in the Bronx, which prepares qualified applicants from underserved communities for careers in computer science free of charge. I enrolled in the five-week foundation program to qualify and was later accepted as a cybersecurity fellow.”
A feature on the evening news led Shannon to The Knowledge House, where she is a cybersecurity fellow on track to graduate this year.
Today, Shannon is on track to finish the three 12-week phases and graduate this year. In addition to course instruction, she receives support from student success specialists for interview preparation, resume writing, job placement, career coaching, and financial planning. She also received a loaner laptop with the latest software to help complete her studies.
TKH was founded in 2014 by Jerelyn Rodriguez Williams and Joe Carrano. It aims to empower and sustain a talent pipeline of technologists and digital leaders to uplift their communities, building the foundation for an inclusive 21st-century economy that provides opportunity.
Jerelyn, a Bronx-born daughter of Dominican immigrants, sought to create a community-based organization that delivers economic opportunity for all. Joe, a self-taught programmer and former minimum-wage worker, joined her in this vision. Together, they established TKH to provide tech-based workforce training programs.
The pandemic prompted TKH to transition from in-person to 100% remote operations, allowing the organization to expand its proven education and job placement services to new students and partners. TKH now serves young people across New York City, Newark, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington DC.
TKH addresses education-to-employment pipeline gaps through two signature programs: The Karim Kharbouch Coding Fellowship (KKCF) for high school students and the Innovation Fellowship for adult job seekers. Both fellowships include live instruction, project-based learning, hands-on technical and professional workshops, and career coaching.
The Innovation Fellowship trains adult job seekers in three specialized tracks: Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Web Development. The program includes professional development to help fellows create polished resumes, cover letters, work portfolios, GitHub profiles, and digital repositories of all their code. Fellows can pursue specialized certifications, apprenticeships, paid internships, or full-time employment.
The KKCF targets 10th to 12th grade students at schools with predominantly low-income populations, starting with a summer intensive and continuing with monthly professional development workshops. Student Success Specialists assist fellows in identifying next steps such as internships, further education, and college/scholarship opportunities.
In total, TKH fellowships have connected over 3,000 young adults to meaningful employment and educational opportunities in the tech sector, with fellows earning an average salary of $70,000 compared to their pre-program average of $20,000.
Mizuho is proud to support The Knowledge House through the Mizuho USA Foundation.
Individuals and organizations can support TKH's mission through various volunteer opportunities, including technical tutoring, career coaching, mock interviews, curriculum review, and mentoring sessions. Volunteers play a crucial role in TKH's program success, providing invaluable insights to fellows.
For more information about The Knowledge House, please contact them at: [email protected]