Burlington Code Academy and BTV Ignite Partner to Help Underserved Communities Learn Tech Skills

Burlington Code Academy (BCA) has partnered with BTV Ignite to help provide underserved communities access computer programming courses that lead to high-paying careers in tech. The partnership is focused on expanding the Impact Scholarship — a $50,000 student tuition aid commitment. BTV Ignite has raised philanthropic funds to provide further access to vital tuition assistance.

Alex Horner, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of VTTA Member Burlington Code Academy, said in a statement, “The Impact Scholarship represents a commitment to diversifying the Vermont tech industry by lowering the financial barrier of entry for students affected by systemic barriers and widespread injustice. We are excited to work with Adam Roof at BTV Ignite and other community partners to provide this scholarship to BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and womxn identifying students. Together, BCA and its partners hope to empower the future faces of tech, in turn demanding a more diverse and inclusive industry.”

One of the recipients of the Impact Scholarship is Raghad Almulla. Raghad was learning computer programming in her home city of Isparta, Turkey, but her studies were cut short when she left for the US as a refugee in early 2021. After arriving in Vermont, Raghad was paired with a career coach from Vermont Works for Women who helped identify a path in which Raghad could continue learning how to code while simultaneously learning the English language. Raghad was matched with Burlington Code Academy, and because of the expanded Impact Scholarship, she was able to enroll in JavaScript After Hours(link is external), a part-time software engineering course hosted online and in the evenings. Raghad hopes to continue her computer programming studies to receive her Associate’s degree and land a job as a software developer to help support her family.

“The opportunities and economic impact of women entering the STEM fields is far reaching,” said Rhoni Basden, Executive Director of Vermont Works for Women. “The more girls and women we see successfully finding STEM careers, the more doors open for future generations to find success in coding, programming, engineering, and more.”

About Burlington Code Academy

Burlington Code Academy is an award-winning technology education center that has been helping adults of all backgrounds change careers by learning to code since 2017. Their array of part-time and full-time courses emphasize teamwork, career readiness, and the value of collaborative learning in the 21st-century workplace. Burlington Code Academy fuses education with practical career training to ensure students’ long-term success.

Since it was first announced in 2020, Burlington Code Academy has awarded over 50 students with the Impact Scholarship. Learn more at burlingtoncodeacademy.com(link is external).

About BTV Ignite

BTV Ignite is focused on bringing together the energy, resources, and values of the Burlington, Vermont community to create opportunities to start and grow new businesses, create new jobs, promote the skills needed to fill them, and support historically underserved communities.