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We are extremely proud of our 20 year tradition of providing a platform for entrepreneurs and small businesses across the globe to make a mark and be successful. The Marcy Lab School is a private, non-profit institution located within Brooklyn, New York, which aims to offer students with an outstanding post-secondary that will help to guide under-appreciated teens into lucrative and fulfilled career paths in the technology sector.

This is why we the donation of $100,000 was made to The Marcy Lab School as a part of our 2020 promise to support organizations working toward the reduction of racial inequality.

We spoke with The Marcy Lab School's executive director Reuben Ogbonna II, about the ways in which the school is able to provide possibilities for Fellows to unlock their potential and pursue careers in the field of technology and other fields, with or without a degree.

: Marcy Lab is a fairly new organization, why did you choose to create this non-profit?

Reuben Ogbonna II: After spending 14 years serving students of color--along with my co-founder Maya Bhattacharjee-Marcantonio--in the charter and public school systems, we repeatedly watched as our former students with limitless potential slipped through the cracks of higher education. One of the stories that don't get told about college in America is that each year, thousands of really promising, hardworking students get accepted to the university they've always wanted to attend but will not be able to to attend or persist to the point of. We were astonished by the abysmal failure rate of "college promise" which left our college students as well as their families with life-altering debt and other seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

In 2019, we came together to build and run Marcy Lab out of the belief that our young people who are of color, and in fact everyone else youngsters, need the opportunity to have a more fair, equitable access to the opportunities and opportunities once only afforded for those who had attended a four-year school. The Marcy Lab School offers a reimagined post-secondary option founded on our original mission of creating lifelong economic flexibility and choices for the youngsters who want to pursue the life-changing professions of tech.

SQSP can be described as a viable alternative to a college education for the students. What is the reason it's crucial for you to know to know that The Marcy Lab offers this path to employment?

RO:The issues I observed my students confront firsthand were some of the most pervasive barriers for children who are of color. It became clear that the postsecondary system in our country did not live up to the promises of college the majority of young people are looking for: community, support, academic relevance, and the ability to align with not just a job but a career. It's the intentional combination of these elements that form the foundation of Marcy Lab and are some important factors that give young adults the courage to pursue a non-traditional path.

To fulfill a new promise, we ensure our Fellows have the skills for work following our 12-month program, prepared and equipped to establish them into teams that are fast-paced and contribute value from day one. Our Fellows gain technical skills from an industry-aligned and informed program that is flexible and responsive to the ever-changing requirements of the technology industry. In addition to gaining a robust technical skillset, our Fellows are engaged in their Leadership & Development curriculum, that focuses on racial identity and gender equality, as well as professional readiness, and financial literacy. The curriculum includes books by renowned authors like James Baldwin, Michelle Alexander, Safiya Umoja Noble, and Dr. Beverly Tatum.

We're very proud to report that Marcy Lab School graduates are seeking and landing positions with high salaries that were previously reserved for students from four-year institutions that are competitive. The impact here is twofold: Not only are our students and their families propelled into positions of secure financial stability, but it signals the ways businesses are drastically altering their hiring methods to attract, encourage, and keep people who aren't traditional.

SQSP: Tell us more about the effect that you've observed the Marcy Lab School have on the students who attend the school?

ROEven after five years working on this project and observing the results, it's not lost on me just how radical it can be to watch our incredible young talent take on roles that average $108,000 in annual earnings between 19 and 20 at some of the most successful companies around the globe, with zero debt. These young people are working with teams at companies like The New York Times, JPMorgan, Cockroach Labs, Spotify as well as others, increasing their earning potential at a rate of nearly $75,000 within a single year and enabling them to give back to their communities through buying homes, aiding their family businesses, and supporting their families.

However, even before our Fellows enter the workforce and enter the workforce, we observe them grow, change and blossom as individuals, pushing themselves further than ever before in order to realize their ambitions and building the confidence to believe that they add value to each room they step into. They spend each day growing ever more interested and eager to make change beyond the confines of Marcy and, ultimately, their work environments. Through their work with teachers and each other that they are continuously maintained in the knowledge that their talents, skills and capacities will allow individuals to break down systems of historic inequity, ultimately using these experiences as well as their training to create strategies for social benefit as well as for changes in society.

SQSP: What role does technology play in the overall achievement of the Marcy Lab program and its colleagues, both as subject matter experts as well as in the running of the program?

ROOur technological curriculum's effectiveness depends on our close relationship with our partners from the employer side for establishing a continuous feedback loop about our Fellows' technical and professional readiness. Relevant areas for improvement go right back to our instruction teams so that our materials are able to evolve and adapt as needed to meet the demands of employers as well as on-the-job performance.

The alignment of the curriculum and performance of students has resulted in more hiring agreements with companies who recognize that these tight connections can lead to equal or stronger hiring outcomes. The highlights include:

Directly working with established firms in order to reduce the requirements of degrees for software engineers, including the New York Times and . These companies have since hired our Fellows as well as other talent that isn't traditional.

The development of a brand new Capstone project curriculum in conjunction with J.P. Morgan Chase Asset and Wealth Management, which is a specialist in backend data engineering curriculum for our capstone period to satisfy their needs and prepare our Fellows for the constantly growing expansion in data analytics.

SQSP What do you hope about the future of Marcy Lab School?

RO:What is making me feel optimistic regarding the future of Marcy Lab and the potential of the space that we are in is the change happening within the corporate world with companies shifting away from degree requirements and toward skills-based hiring, which opens the possibility of organizations such as Marcy Lab to even exist.

I have noticed major employers throughout the United States such as IBM and Barclays to partners like  that, which have a substantial number of early career, mid-level, and senior leaders that are graduates of The Marcy Lab School, similar the Stanford University pipeline that connects firms in San Francisco's Bay Area. As they gain knowledge and experience at these top firms, I can see our graduates eventually branching off to create their own companies and paying it forward by recruiting teams with the same backgrounds as they had.

In the end, I consider Marcy Lab as a part in a broader system of fair pathways that was created specifically to lead hundreds of students who excel in school of color into careers which break the cycle of poverty in one generation.

SQSP: How can individuals who are interested in Marcy Lab School's mission be involved?

ROIf the mission of this organization and the work you do resonate with you and you are interested in joining us, we invite you to join us as a member of our growing community. We're hoping that we'll keep inspiring others when they join us in this cause! We frequently share three options for people who are new to join us in getting involved:

Explore Our Brooklyn campus in Industry City and meet first-hand the young adults that are dedicating their lives to their goals and the amazing team who pushes the entire process up.

Volunteer to give your time, and impart your experience to our Fellows as they navigate the challenges of our program for one year, prepare for their job search as well as beyond. Our community of volunteers serve as mentors, curriculum advisors as well as guest lecturers and recruiters and are an essential part of the program. It helps keep our curriculum industry-oriented as well as ensuring the overall satisfaction of all of our Fellows.

Finally, donating to our work allows us to continue this program free of tuition for our fellows.