ScriptEd Summer Internships
If you are in a tech company in NYC (or if you run a tech company in NYC) please consider hosting a ScriptEd summer internship this summer. Here is what you need to know to consider that:
1/ ScriptEd is a nonprofit supported by CSNYC. It recruits software developers to volunteer in low-income high schools around New York City during the school year and teach a foundational course in web development and computer science. Over the summer, ScriptEd connects its students to paid six-week summer internships at tech companies and with tech teams within other types companies. Some of its past internship partners include About.com, Contently, Thrillist, JP Morgan and American Express. ScriptEd currently serves more than 300 students across NYC and will place 100 of its students in internships this summer.
2/ ScriptEd will hold a Summer 2015 Internship Information Session on Wednesday, March 4th at 6:30pm. They are specifically looking for companies with at least 40 New York City based employees and at least 3-4 developers on staff. If you are interested in attending this event, please fill out an interest form here. To learn more about their internship program, click here.
3/ ScriptEd’s internship program was so successful last summer that they are aiming to place five times as many students in internships this summer. All of their internship partners from last summer reported that they are re-engaging with ScriptEd this summer, and many have asked for an increased number of interns this summer.
4/ ScriptEd’s long term goal is to ensure that low income NYC students have the experience, mentorship and confidence they need to pursue careers in tech.
5/ The technology industry is growing faster than ever and diverse talent is becoming more difficult to find.
6/ Companies can try to solve for their own tech talent shortage by stepping up recruiting efforts to capture a bigger piece of the tech talent pool but that is not a long-term solution. Expansion of the tech talent pipeline – attracting young women and young students of color to the study of STEM and careers in tech – must be a part of the solution.
7/ ScriptEd’s student population during the 2013-2014 school year was 30% Black, 43% Hispanic, 24% Asian and 3% White. Its 2014 internship class was 50% female and 50% male.
8/ Fin
For ScriptEd’s annual report, click here.
For ScriptEd’s internship brochure, click here.
Comments (Archived):
Good to see them going the extra mile and place students into internships…. closing that loop is an important step that a lot of the “Teach errbody to code!” groups leave out or dont focus on.
i totally agree. that’s what i like most about ScriptEd
on the job coding is the best way. Big fan of this initiative and going to try to participate.
Paid internships are just win win for both sides.In tech and not.Whenever I talk to a startup over 5 people I ask why they don’t have interns as part of the team.
My daughter was offered an internship from a small investment bank in NYC. When she was interviewed it wasn’t clear whether there was pay or not. Actually from the way she described what the (young) interviewer said it seemed like there wasn’t (but still waiting to find out). This also raises an interesting questions which is where do you live in NYC if you are offered an internship. (Apparently NYU offers their dorms at between $300 and $500 per week rental is one option.)
No reason not to pay–in some way.Monthly metro passes. Train passes to commute from wherever. CitiBike keys. Food. And some cash.Everyone can afford that.
Non-paying internships just discriminate against those who don’t have some magical way of supporting themselves. If you don’t want to ‘pay’ at least provide room and board.
Agree.Free is neither necessary nor optimal.
I am the most conservative of the group here. I find unpaid immoral.
Wrong it is.In one instance recently, on a project, went from hourly to a stipend.
In the context of this discussion (and the particular job in question) I agree.Otoh I can think of many cases where an internship with the right person would be worth it’s weight in gold. That’s based on the old rubric, if you want to call it that, of “who you know” and/or “who you meet”. Of course if you are a schmoe that won’t matter. Otoh if you are a hustler you can do much with that.Along those lines having to pay for room and board for my daughter for the right opportunity isn’t out of the question, to stress, for the right opportunity. After all, college costs a boatload and it’s not just about learning either.If the stipend is, say, $5000 vs. no stipend and we have to shell out $5000 and the opportunity is good does it really matter in the end?
It matters if you can’t afford to shell out 5k.
Great comment. I like the massiveness of it.
Does the program see working at a physical office with other devs as an important component to the internship? I ask because the ‘virtual office’ is becoming the default for a lot of tech startups, and the requirement of having at least 40 employees in NYC leaves those companies out of the equation.I get that this a NYC program and can imagine some reasons why this requirement is in place. But I was curious if they have a particular view on that piece.
They should toss them in a co-work space.
yes, kids that age need face time
100% true. Working in various offices (during high school and college) was a great learning experience. Plus very hard for someone to see how hard you are working with many types of jobs if you are not hustling right there in front of them. Or to be offered opportunities. Basic principle, out of site, out of mind.
Of the $5000 companies pay, what percentage goes to the intern vs. “A portion of the fee also goes towards the operating costs of ScriptEd’s school-year program.” [1][1] From the pdf on the scripted.org site.
I ran into Maurya (the ED of ScriptEd) this morning on the subway and we had a great chat about all the great stuff going on at ScriptEd (as well as the CrossFit/Coding Kata fundraiser for CSNYC on May 2nd). She’s so humble about the amazing work she’s doing she neglected to mention that ScriptEd was going to be featured on avc.com today! So to repeat what I said on the 2 train … I’m in awe of the amazing work and “walk the walk” approach Maurya, Becca, and the whole team have taken to getting more kids key coding skills. Congrats to the whole ScriptEd team.
yeah, she is awesome
aww shucks 🙂 Thanks!
Wow, Fred, so now you’re using tweetstorming syntax in blog posts (1/, etc.). Innovative. Also, I like the “8/ Fin” touch – seems kind of literary – Don Fred Wilson. The literary (as in Oxford don) kind, not the other 🙂 Good luck with the ScriptED initiative.
yup, that’s what i was doing there