First Tech Fund

First Tech Fund is an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to closing the digital divide by empowering students of underserved backgrounds in New York City through a year-long high school fellowship that includes technology, practical skills, and opportunities to succeed in the modern world. First Tech Fund was founded in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has amplified the pre-existing inequalities in technology access and education, especially for communities of color across America. 

Our theory of change is that if we provide students with a holistic set of services including career and college access support paired with mentorship, tech access, free unlimited internet access, and exposure to various career pathways, students will have a significantly higher chance of being successful in their respective fields, and encounter pathways that give them vision and desire to strive higher. Our program looks to address a number of issues students face so that the outcome is a trajectory-altering system of support that addresses many of their essential needs, instead of one, and works outside the traditional school system. If students don’t find the support or community at their respective school, they know they can find one with us. 

So far, we've seen the following impact after surveying our first cohort:

- 100% of students stated they were “able to participate more effectively in school and remote learning because of the access provided by FTF.”

- 91.4% of students stated that “Having access to FTF’s program and technology allowed me to apply to extracurricular activities or summer programs”

- 80% of students stated that the WiFi benefitted not only them but their families (cousins, siblings, parents, etc) to access school, social services, and more

- 88.6% of students surveyed were accepted to college and/or other extra-curricular / pre-career programs

First Tech Fund is fundraising, accepting technology donations, and is open to nonprofit and corporate partnership opportunities. Organizations interested in learning more about First Tech Fund’s mission, programs, or partnerships should email info@firsttechfund.com or visit firsttechfund.com for more information.