This blog post was written by Kelsey Perdue, our Grand Rapids Assistant Campus Director.

I believe that solid, rewarding careers make for happier people, stronger families and better communities. And I believe these kinds of careers should be accessible to everyone, regardless of background. I joined Grand Circus in 2017 because they believe the same thing, and are successfully helping people start rewarding careers in tech — a fast-growing industry with in-demand, high satisfaction, high pay roles. The industry’s growth is so great that there’s a talent shortage: there will be 1 million unfilled, needed programming roles by 2020. Still, even if you’re not in tech you may know there is a concerning lack of diversity in the industry. Not everyone is involved or benefitting from these great opportunities. With major challenges come huge opportunities, and Grand Circus and I are excitedly working to address both.

A little about my background and experience:

In college, I changed my major five times. I didn’t know what my career options were or which path was the best fit for me. When I met or saw someone I liked and learned what they did, I would consider that career as an option to look into. That’s what got me interested in law, political science, research and finally led me to education. This is the case for many people when deciding their career path.

When leading a classroom of students or participating as one, exposure to jobs was a consistent theme in discussions about workforce development — no matter what grade or age. When I talked to my 6th grade students about the challenges of being an NFL player or the importance of janitorial work, they began to think about their options in a new way. Their eyes were just as curious as mine were when I was a college student. Choosing your career path is an important decision. It’s extremely important to know what job options exist, the reality of the work and where one might thrive. It takes more than just job knowledge, though, to confidently make that choice. Seeing people who look like you or share a similar background occupying and succeeding in those spaces is just as critical.

At Grand Circus, I’ve seen many of our students struggle with something called Imposter Syndrome. This is true for a lot of professionals. When you’re a high achiever you often don’t think you’re good enough – despite proof of your successes. I’ve found this feeling especially strong amongst those from underrepresented groups. They face the possibility of being the first women or only African American, for example, on their team. This comes on top of the natural worries and angst that come with being new on a team or in a career. That’s why it’s important for everyone to “see themselves” and be supported in entering these spaces.

Project Rising TIDE was birthed from this need for exposure, representation and mentorship in tech. Our initiative has four key goals: to expose people to careers in the fast growing technology industry; to be intentional and hold ourselves accountable to being inclusive of different journeys and diverse people; and to break down barriers to education opportunities in coding.  

Over the next two years, we will reach 1,000 people through Grand Circus’ introductory and advanced coding trainings. Our goal is for half of those people to be in underrepresented groups in tech. Half of our introductory trainings will be held at community locations. We know it’s important to be close to where people live, work and play. But going to people isn’t enough. We are also providing childcare, transportation and equipment assistance so anyone can join. Lastly, we hired a new team member who is knowledgeable about the community, relationship building and equity. SheThey will work with local agencies and individuals to provide information and support to carry this project to success.

We’re happily investing two years, thousands of dollars and a lot of work into seeing what difference we can make in people’s lives and the local tech community as a whole. What makes this project even cooler? The City of Grand Rapids is a partner on this project and elements of Rising TIDE are possible thanks to a SmartZone contract. Two years from now, more of Grand Rapids will know about the opportunities that exist in tech. Companies will have a stronger, more diverse talent pool to drive their growth. And we want you to be part of this. We host free workshops every month that we’d love to meet you at, so you can learn about tech for yourself. Bring a friend with you, too. You never know. Once you try it, you just might find the career you love.

Hi there! I’m Yasmine and I manage the Unit 1 process here at Grand Circus. The admissions process here at Grand Circus has multiple steps and Unit 1 is just one of them! There are several ways applicants can prepare to be successful before and during the Unit 1 process. (more…)

What is the problem we’re trying to solve?

There will be more than 1 million unfilled computer programming positions by 2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Michigan’s tech industry is booming, however, a talent shortage remains a major hindrance to growth. Grand Circus’ vision is to close this talent gap for employers.

A technology training institute founded in Detroit, Grand Circus opened in 2013 and has trained more 1,000 developers. These graduates have landed new tech careers at over 250 companies.

Our mission: to make a career in technology accessible to all our immersive coding bootcamp students. We believe that anyone can be a developer if they have the tenacity, hustle, and commitment. Through this training, we’re working to fix the talent shortage Michigan is facing. (more…)

“We never shall have any more time. We have, and we have always had, all the time there is.”

― Arnold Bennett, How to Live on 24 Hours a Day

What can you accomplish in 24 hours? In 26 weeks? A lifetime?

You spoke, and we listened. Beginning in July 2018, Grand Circus is offering 26-week After-Hours bootcamps. This new model offers the full-scope of coding curriculum, covering the entirety of a full-time bootcamp experience, including soft skills, and does it during weekday evenings. (more…)

Here at Grand Circus, we’re excited to be starting 2018 by announcing our new coding bootcamp model. Today I’d like to provide more details on this change, why we’ve made this decision and how it will impact our community.  We’re super happy with the new additions, but I get that you’re probably wondering why. Grand Circus had full-time bootcamps for nearly three years around a 10-week model with good success! Why change the model?

Well, at Grand Circus we pride ourselves on being committed to student success and being responsive to feedback. As we looked toward celebrating our 5th birthday and our 1,000th bootcamp student, we took time to reflect on how we could better serve our community as we continue to grow. We listened to our partners, surveyed our community and identified a few areas that could lead to even greater student success. Feedback is something we’ve taken very seriously since Grand Circus was founded, and this anniversary was the perfect time to take a deeper dive and implement a few changes. (more…)

The beginning of 2018 marks an important milestone for Grand Circus – we’re turning 5!

To mark the occasion I wanted to share some of our proudest moments, and let you know about some exciting changes for the coming year.

When Grand Circus was founded, the simple idea was to teach the masses job skills for the modern digital economy.  While we have always been true to that vision, I never imagined the profound impact we would have on people’s lives.

These student stories inspire us every day, and they also serve to reinforce our belief that anyone can learn the skills of a developer. 

A few coding student stories – 

(Left to Right) Segilola, Matt, Michael and Jefferson graduated our Front-End coding bootcamp

There’s Matt…He was delivering sandwiches for a local cafe when he heard about Grand Circus’ bootcamps.  Matt took a Front-End bootcamp, now he’s a software developer at Accenture.

Or Deeann…She was a stay-at-home mom for more than 10 years who was finding it difficult to break back into the workforce.  She took a Java bootcamp and now works at Pillar Technology, a leading software development firm.

Or Terrell…He’s a current high school senior who learned HTML/CSS in a Grand Circus youth program.  Terrell picked a class project which took his mom’s clothing business online and has since started his own web development business! (more…)