- - - ## 📚 Metadata: - Author: Catherine Abrikian - Source: Building a Welcoming Community in Tech - Reference: [Link](https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech) - Tags: #AdaDevelopersAcademy #codingSchool #tuitionFree - - - ## 📝 Summary: The Ada Developers Academy is a tuition-free, one-year coding school that prepares women and gender-expansive adults for junior software developer roles. It aims to advocate for inclusive and equitable work environments. The academy primarily serves Black, Latine, Indigenous Americans, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islanders, LGBTQIA+, and low-income individuals. Despite the recognition of the importance of diverse workspaces, many companies struggle to recruit and retain diverse talent. Ada Developers Academy has achieved a success rate of 94% of its graduates being hired in full-time software engineering jobs within six months of graduation. ## 📖 Main Content: The Ada Developers Academy is a free, one-year coding school that focuses on preparing women and gender-expansive adults for junior software developer roles while promoting inclusive and equitable work environments. The institution caters to communities that have faced systemic marginalization, including Black, Latine, Indigenous Americans, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islanders, LGBTQIA+, and low-income individuals. Many companies recognize the benefits of having diverse workspaces; however, many corporations still grapple with recruiting and retaining diverse talent. Ada Developers Academy has played a crucial role in addressing this issue, with graduates having a success rate of 94% when searching for full-time software engineering jobs within six months of graduation. ## 🔮 Future Research: - How can institutions like the Ada Developers Academy better support marginalized communities, particularly outside of the tech industry? - What role can promotions, salary incentives, flexible work schedules, and mentorship play in recruiting and retaining diverse talent in the tech industry? - How do alternative methods of education, such as tuition-free coding schools, compare to traditional educational structures when providing access to quality education? - What benefits can businesses derive from recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds into their workforce? - How can discriminatory biases be called out and addressed in the hiring process? ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - Tuition-free education can help improve access to quality education for marginalized communities. - A more inclusive and diverse workforce will lead to increased innovation, creativity, and problem-solving. - Providing flexible work schedules, mentoring, and salary incentives will foster goodwill and attract diverse talent to a company. - Addressing discriminatory biases in the recruitment process will open up opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. ## 📊 Methodology: - Interviews with participants from tuition-free coding schools, such as Ada Developers Academy, and their success in pursuing a software engineering career. - Surveys querying the impact of a diverse and inclusive workforce on innovation, creativity, and problem-solving in the tech industry. - Case studies on businesses' successes after investing in creating an inclusive, diverse, and supportive work culture. - Analysis of patterns in the hiring process to uncover biases. ## 💡 Implications: The Ada Developers Academy and other institutions like it present one solution towards bridging gender and race equity gaps within the tech industry, as its tuition-free education allows access to those facing financial barriers to quality education. Its advocacy for inclusive and equitable work environments highlights the importance of safe and supportive workplace cultures. The success rate of individuals recruited by Ada Developers Academy underscores the significance of promoting diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. This future research will provide valuable information for developing policies, initiatives, and practices aimed at fostering inclusivity and diversity within the tech industry and beyond. ## 📖 References: - Ada Developers Academy. (n.d.). Retrieved from [www.adadevelopersacademy.org](www.adadevelopersacademy.org) - Abrikian, C. (2023, June 20). Building a Welcoming Community in Tech. Retrieved from [https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech](https://www.devrelx.com/post/building-a-welcoming-community-in-tech) ## Links - [[DevRel MOC]] — applies-in — inclusive pipeline-building for the developer community - [[Commons & Community Governance MOC]] — extends — equitable access as community health