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Featured Nonprofits
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NONPROFITS TACKLING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN CHARLOTTE
Digi-Bridge
Digi-Bridge aims to equip shareholders with the means to foster optimal use of technology in the learning environment, ensuring that all 21st century learners have opportunities to succeed in the digital age. We provide digital classroom design consultancy, develop and deliver coursework to K-8 scholars and engage as advocates in support of digital access and opportunity.
A Better World
Our mission is to uplift under-served children in West Charlotte and bridge the gaps in their lives by enriching their physical, mental, and spiritual development. We aim to unite communities, parents, and schools behind the common goal of improving kids’ futures. What makes us unique is that we support student education with certified teachers, and ground breaking computer software. We tackle hunger and healthy eating by providing each student with a snack a full hot meal daily, along back pack of food on Fridays for the weekend.
ChickTech
ChickTech is a national organization with local chapters serving thousands of girls and women every year through tech programs and events. We facilitate hands-on technology-centric events and programs to empower, support, and increase the confidence of women and girls. Through our events, we build community, empower participants to see themselves as leaders, and provide networking and mentoring opportunities in the rapidly growing high tech industry. We envision a safe, inclusive, and innovative technology future that includes equal pay, participation, and treatment of women. We are dedicated to retaining women in the technology workforce and increasing the number of women and girls pursuing technology-based careers.
Center 360
Center 360 is a grassroots non-profit organization that provides a holistic approach to career development. Our aim is to empower middle school students who are at-risk of disengaging from school by providing them with life skills training, personal development, and career enrichment activities. We create a safe space where youth can learn self-awareness and resilience, develop academic persistence, and be exposed to career opportunities in the fields of Music, Arts, Athletics, and Technology.
City Startup Labs
We are closing the entrepreneurial divide, where under-represented populations of African American millennials, as well as returning citizens (the formerly incarcerated) are not adequately participating in startup activity and business building. CSL creates this new class of entrepreneurs through its Center of Excellence for Entrepreneurial Competency, Leadership and Innovation (CoE), by providing a robust, accelerated, progressive and disciplined approach to developing entrepreneurial talent, new venture creation and deployment.
CMS Foundation
The CMS Foundation is the official nonprofit partner for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), raising money to support the district’s highest strategic priorities. Harnessing the power of private investments in education, we seed innovative ideas and help expand programs to accelerate system-wide transformation.
We play a unique role in our community, serving as a trusted bridge that connects donors to the district’s most critical work. In this position, we help ensure investments in our school system have a meaningful, sustainable impact on our students and educators.
Apparo
Apparo transforms the community and improves lives by connecting local nonprofits to technology expertise and resources that amplify their impact.
Through Apparo's work, nonprofits receive free and low-cost access to mission-enabling technical expertise and resources; corporations access brand-building and impactful skilled volunteer opportunities.
Discovery Place
Discovery Place aims to inspire curious thinkers to discover the wonders of science, technology and nature. Through a network of four hands-on museums in three different cities, educational outreach programs and professional development for pre K - 12 teachers throughout the region, Discovery Place is a leader in STEM education in the Carolinas.
We aspire to be at the forefront of transforming the way science, technology and nature are explored and learned to inspire dreams, raise aspirations and motivate people of all ages to develop a lifelong love of learning
Dottie Rose Foundation
We encourage, support and educate girls who have an interest in technology and want to learn how it can be used to enhance their learning and future careers. Our camps demonstrate that most future career paths will benefit from developing a wide range of increasingly important technology and software skills. We will accomplish this through mastering computational thinking, boosting self confidence and creating new possibilities for each girl.
E2D, Inc.
Our mission is to ensure that every student has affordable and essential at-home technology and the training support to achieve academic success. Our ultimate goal is to see students in our community on a path of upward mobility through technology access, digital education training and by providing exposure to workforce development opportunities in the technology industry through our Re-Image CLT initiative.
Hack & Hustle Entrepreneurship Academy, Inc.
Hack & Hustle Academy is a cutting-edge STEM & Entrepreneurship academy that is totally different from any other. We also provide one of the most, if not the most, extensive list of cutting-edge technology projects offered. Our approach is unique and transformative based on testimonials from past scholars. We are culturally relevant due to the incorporation of music/Hip Hop life lessons. We also teach the material in a way that does not feel stressed or like being in a traditional classroom. Our scholars are highly engaged and are eager to learn as much as possible. We create a stress-free, collaborative environment, where scholars work together to solve problems and help each other. Scholars also receive internship pay which improves economic mobility.
INTech Foundation, Inc.
INTech’s mission is to inform and inspire girls to innovate in the technology industry. INTech informs girls about technology and how it impacts their everyday lives, inspires them with talks from women in the tech industry, and shows them how to innovate their own tech product.
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Open Charlotte
Open Charlotte provides a platform for civic-minded residents to engage with local government and community organizations to improve services and address challenges in our communities. We believe that government and community resources should be open, accessible and friendly to all residents. We use technology and advocacy to further this movement and increase civic engagement in Charlotte. Open Charlotte is one of over seventy volunteer teams known as "brigades," partnered with Code for America.
Per Scholas
For twenty-five years, Per Scholas has prepared motivated and curious adults who are unemployed or underemployed with the technical and business skills to launch successful careers in technology, creating onramps to businesses in need of their talents. This year, we will enroll more than 1,600 students across fourteen cities and partner with over 500 companies.
Project Scientist
Our mission is to expose a diverse population of young girls to a high-quality STEM academy that inspires confidence in their pursuit of learning throughout the year. Our vision is to originate a diverse STEM talent pool by building confidence for over 20,000 girls by 2022. Our purpose is to ignite and cultivate confidence that a STEM career is attainable for any girl.
Do Greater Charlotte, Inc.
Do Greater Charlotte’s mission is to address the lack of exposure and access to creative, technological, and entrepreneurial education within underserved communities in Charlotte. Our programs prepare learners for the future with tools and training made possible through partnerships with professional creative community mentors. Our spaces (Mobile, Virtual, and Physical ) are hubs for learning. Each location is equipped with modern digital technology to provide educational opportunities centered around creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship across multiple interests including coding, design, video production, photography, and more.
Raise a Child of the Carolinas
Raise a Child of the Carolinas is an organization built on the constructs of diversity and inclusion. We believe that children are the very essence of the future; who they are tomorrow is essentially the outcome of how they are raised and nurtured today. We take great pride in transcending the barriers of race and ethnicity to empower and inspire the children
of our communities. We use a village approach and integrate lessons in various subjects to expose K-12 youth to educational opportunities that are underrepresented in their communities thus combating racial inequality and empowering them to reach their full potential.
Renaissance West Community Initiative
RWCI opened a Pre-K through 8th grade school, Renaissance West STEAM Academy, in 2017 and jointly governs the school with Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. The Howard Levine Child Development Center is the beginning of our cradle to career education pipeline and is a 5 star high quality facility that strives to have all children ready to enter kindergarten, while also having a holistic approach with their families. Through a plan guided by the residents needs and vision for their neighborhood, RWCI is a consistent support system in all areas of their lives.
Road to Hire
At Road to Hire, we believe hard work should be met with opportunity. Road to Hire connects under-resourced young adults with onramps to high-earning careers through paid technical training and college access. From there, we partner with top CLT employers to place graduates in entry-level career roles, largely in tech. We work hand in hand with CMS to start this work with Title I high schoolers, and have our boots on the ground within the community to continue with 18-25 year olds.
UMBA Bright Stars, Inc.
UMBA Bright Stars-Beyond the School Day, provides excellent K-5 after school and summer camp programs that assist every child to become proficient readers and mathematics “Stars.” Every child is created by God with a special purpose and plan for their lives. Our purpose is to provide a caring, loving, safe, and nurturing integrated learning environment where children strive in excellence to become the unique “Stars” that they were created to be. During the daily, weekly program, children are enriched in their learning that encompasses the mind, body, and spirit through S.T.E.A.M, Leadership, and the teaching of Core values.
Queen City Robotics Alliance
Queen City Robotics Alliance is using the FIRST robotics program where students build robots to compete in team events. This is a sport “where everyone can turn pro”. Each team is run like a business and it is way beyond robots. Our vision is to help all students in the greater Charlotte area are equipped and prepared for their future paths.
App YOUniversity
App YOUniversity’s motto is “Inspiring youth, to become technology producers not just consumers.” The program is designed to provide IT exposure and jobs to under-served and under-educated youth. App YOUniversity’s philosophy is as technology leaders it is our responsibility to multiply the number of leaders in Information Technology by influencing and education the under-served youth in our community!
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Charlotte Works
Through programs and partnerships with service providers across the county, Charlotte Works ensures that job seekers have access to opportunities, and have the skills employers need. Charlotte Works oversees the NCWorks Career Centers and NextGen Youth programs and administers the Working Smart essential skills curriculum for job seekers.
ourBRIDGE for KIDS
ourBRIDGE for KIDS exists to provide academic and socio-emotional support to refugee and immigrant children and their families as they acculturate to life anew to the United States. We provide an out-of-school experiential-based learning curriculum to help our students achieve the fundamentals of English language acquisition (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) through activities that incorporate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) elements and encourage cultural pride and inclusion, civic engagement, community involvement, problem solving and critical thinking.
Out Teach
At Out Teach, we believe education has the power to help every child reach their greatest potential, no matter their resources. We support this belief by engaging elementary students in student-driven, hands-on learning, using any outdoor space, that integrates science into the core subjects of math and ELA, deepening learning across the curriculum. Our focus on inquiry-based learning, science and engineering practices, and outdoor phenomena translates directly to an increase in student engagement and fosters the development of 21st century skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Young Black Leadership Alliance
We focus on helping our young people become leaders that are college and career ready. As our young leaders strive to succeed, they are trained to reach back and mentor elementary, middle and high school students. We achieve our goals through Leadership, Service and Education. We work with the community the learn and create action around social and racial justice.
Blacks in Technology Foundation
The Blacks In Technology Foundation is the largest community of Black people in the technology industry. Through community-focused activities, events and outreach, The Blacks In Technology (BIT) Foundation is “Stomping the Divide” by establishing a blueprint of world-class technical excellence and innovation by providing resources, guidance, networking, and opportunities for members to share their expertise and advance their careers.
Charlotte Bilingual Preschool
Charlotte Bilingual Preschool (CltBP) has dedicated 20 years to providing innovative, two-generation solutions for preparing Spanish-speaking children for success. Core services include the 5-star licensed dual language Preschool Program for children 3-5 and the Family Program, which empowers families as their children’s most important teachers.
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont
Goodwill is a leader in providing job training programs and helping individuals find employment opportunities. Thanks to our generous donors and retail customers, Goodwill is able to offer employment, career services for individuals so they can see possibilities, seize opportunities and prosper.