Harris Stowe

Harris-Stowe State University Partners with LaunchCode to Announce ‘Summer of Code’ Free Tech Training Classes

LaunchCode quadruples number of free classes this summer to make tech training more accessible to the St. Louis community

ST. LOUIS, MO, (June 1, 2016) – Harris-Stowe State University and startup nonprofit LaunchCode announce Summer of Code, a collection of four, free 20-week coding courses designed to put people on a path towards a career in technology.  LaunchCode, co-founded in St. Louis by Jim McKelvey, is partnering with Harris-Stowe and other local community organizations to facilitate the classes.

Beginning June 13, evening classes will be held at LaunchCode’s Mentor Center at 4811 Delmar Blvd. 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. in an effort to make this opportunity accessible to anyone interested in learning how to code. Students will be expected to spend six hours a week in class and a minimum of 10-15 hours outside of class. Students will also be granted free access to LaunchCode’s Mentor Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the duration of the course. Classes at Harris-Stowe will be offered during future sessions.

“Harris-Stowe is proud to partner with LaunchCode to offer this unique and valuable intro to coding opportunity to the community, our students and alumni,” said Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, president Harris-Stowe State University.  “This partnership also provides rare access to apprenticeships and job placement with hundreds of companies linked to this LaunchCode effort.”

LaunchCode plans to enroll 300 students in education programs in St. Louis this summer. Registration is now open to anyone interested in participating by contacting the LaunchCode Mentor Center at (314) 254-0107.

“Summer of Code is a landmark event in the history of LaunchCode,” said Brendan Lind, the organization’s executive director. “By offering day and night time classes at multiple locations, we’re able to massively expand our commitment to free, high-quality education that can create pathways to economic opportunity and new careers in tech.”

The Summer of Code courses are facilitated through partnerships with Harris-Stowe State University, Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which is hosting a class on their Danforth campus, and OPO Startups, which hosts the class in St. Charles.

 

About Harris-Stowe State University

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU), located in midtown St. Louis, is a fully accredited four-year institution that offers 31 majors, minors and certificate programs in education, business and arts & sciences. In 2014, HSSU ranked No. 1 in the state of Missouri and No. 47 in the nation in granting degrees in mathematics and statistics to African Americans according to Missouri Department of Higher Education and Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, a news magazine that has ranked institutions conferring the most degrees to minority students for the past 30 years. Harris-Stowe also ranked No. 28 among the 2016 Top HBCUs in the country according to Niche, an online content provider of reviews and insight on more than 1,100 colleges nationwide. The University, which has origins dating back to 1857, offers the most affordable bachelor’s degree in the state of Missouri. Visit www.hssu.edu for more information.

 

About LaunchCode

LaunchCode is a nonprofit organization founded by Square co-founder Jim McKelvey that partners with over 500 companies nationwide to offer paid apprenticeships and jobs for aspiring developers and technologists. Ninety percent of LaunchCode apprentices are converted to permanent hires within 90 days.  President Obama recognized St. Louis-based LaunchCode as an example for solving the nation’s tech talent gap as part of the White House TechHire initiative. To learn more about LaunchCode’s Summer of Code, visithttps://www.launchcode.org/summerofcode.

DeWarren Smith