Per Scholas Opens Institute In Bronx

Per Scholas website screenshot.

As part of its mission to help disadvantaged communities during these tough economic times, Per Scholas, the organization that provides economic opportunities through education and technology, will officially open its new Institute for Technology in the Port Morris section of the Bronx on October 22 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m.

The new 16,000-square-foot facility, located at 804 E.138th Street, will help Per Scholas train 500 people in technology field careers within a year and serve as the organization’s national administrative headquarters as it looks to expand to three cities in the next three years. Per Scholas has begun individual discussions with community leaders in Baltimore, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

“To compete in today’s job market, you must be a skilled, specialized worker,” said Per Scholas President and CEO Plinio Ayala. “Our workforce development program provides disadvantaged adults with the specific skills they need to excel in the IT industry, and with this new state-of-the-art facility, we now have the capacity to train more people than ever before.”

The two-hour ribbon cutting ceremony will be hosted by Ayala and will include guest speaker Pedro Espada Jr, New York State Senate Majority Leader, followed by a tour of the new Per Scholas Institute of Technology’s computer labs, library, life skills classrooms, and staff offices.

The Per Scholas Institute for Technology was formerly located in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. Due to increasing rent costs, program demand and growth, Per Scholas decided to relocate to its new Port Morris facility, which was supported with a capital campaign drive by corporate and institutional funders.

About Per Scholas

Per Scholas is an environmentally-responsible nonprofit organization committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing education, technology and economic opportunities to under-served communities. The organization’s programs have been praised as remarkable and innovative by business leaders, politicians, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Since its 1995 inception, Per Scholas has distributed over 72,000 free and inexpensive computers to low-income families and has trained more than 2,400 disadvantaged adults in technology field careers, with over 80 percent of graduates successfully finding permanent jobs. A recent independent study by Public/Private Ventures (P/PV) found that Per Scholas graduates earned significantly higher wages and retained jobs longer than other job seekers who chose different employment programs.

Their website could be viewed here.