Break Through Tech A.I. Program Opens Doors for Underrepresented College Students
Chelsea Prudencio, a junior at Baruch College in Manhattan, has had a transformative experience over the last 10 months thanks to a new program aimed at lower-income, Latina, and Black young women majoring in computing. The program, called Break Through Tech A.I., provided Prudencio with valuable opportunities to learn about artificial intelligence (A.I.) and data science, ultimately opening doors to exciting career prospects.
Through the program, Prudencio completed an intensive class developed by Cornell Tech faculty, worked on a student A.I. project for Pfizer, and received mentorship from a cybersecurity executive at Citigroup. These experiences have not only expanded her knowledge but have also inspired her to pursue a career in health A.I., where she can make a meaningful impact by building models that could potentially save lives.
Break Through Tech A.I. is the largest program of its kind in the United States, focusing on reducing obstacles to tech careers for underrepresented college students. Hosted and supported by M.I.T., UCLA, and Cornell Tech, the program is free and primarily targets students attending public institutions or minority-serving institutions.
Participants in the program receive stipends, career mentors, and opportunities to work on A.I. challenges set up by top employers like Google, JPMorgan Chase, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The program also emphasizes the importance of addressing A.I. bias and ethical considerations, preparing students to navigate the complexities of the tech industry.
The success of the Break Through Tech A.I. program is evident in its ability to place students in paid internships at prestigious companies, providing a crucial stepping stone towards full-time job offers. By conferring credentials from elite institutions on students from diverse backgrounds, the program is helping to level the playing field in the tech industry and showcase the talent and potential of underrepresented groups.
As more students like Chelsea Prudencio and Saliha Demir find success through programs like Break Through Tech A.I., the tech industry is slowly becoming more inclusive and diverse. These initiatives are not only changing the face of computing but also paving the way for a more equitable and innovative future in tech.
