For some refugees, being granted asylum in the United States is like winning the lottery. But for a group of five refugees living in the Seattle area, the luck doesn’t stop there.
Bellevue, Washington-based coding bootcamp Coding Dojo announced it is partnering with Jewish Family Service and Community Credit Lab to offer a free computer programming education to local refugees. The 14-week coding bootcamp will teach participants web fundamentals like HTML and CSS in addition to three full computer programming stacks.
For the program, the three organizations selected a group of five local refugees hailing from Ukraine, Burundi, Ethiopia and Rwanda. As the group progresses through the class, the three organizations will keep an eye on their progress and expand the program to more refugees if it’s successful. The organizations are actively gathering stakeholders and funding for future cohorts.
Classes for this first group of students began this week.
“Many refugees already have high levels of knowledge and experience but are hampered in their home countries by inefficient or broken systems,” Coding Dojo CEO Richard Wang said in a statement. “We are committed to empowering refugees and other underserved communities so they can participate in the digital economy.”
Coding Dojo will cover the cost of the bootcamp through its own scholarships, while the two nonprofit partners are also contributing services for the participants. Jewish Family Service is providing support through employment case management, access to professional mentors and a stipend for living expenses during the program. Meanwhile, Community Credit Lab is providing 0 percent interest loans to also assist with living expenses and help the participants build credit.
The coding program aims to show how communities can create economic opportunities for refugees and immigrants. By providing a free coding education, these organizations are paving the way for these individuals to obtain high-paying jobs and a career in tech. Potentially, it could change their lives.
