The Hagerman Foundation Teams Up With Grand Circus to Expand Develop(her) Training to Flint

Grand Circus, Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT) and TekSystems work in conjunction with The Hagerman Foundation to bring bootcamp training courses to Flint.

News provided by

The Hagerman Foundation

May 11, 2016, 12:32 ET

FLINT, Mich., May 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hagerman Foundation has donated $120,000 to Grand Circus's Develop(her) Bootcamp, an intensive training course teaching students to become Java developers. The donation was made as a stipend for scholarships, ensuring students will be able to dedicate their full attention to the program.

The Hagerman Foundation is a non-profit organization based in downtown Flint, MI. Its mission is to empower people through relationships that foster an impact for good and to support organizations that promote education, life skills, entrepreneurship, ministry, counseling, and the arts in surrounding communities.

"Flint and Detroit are experiencing rapid growth in the tech sector and encouraging women to be a part of that growth is vital in creating a flourishing, diverse tech industry," said Jocelyn Hagerman, co-founder of the Hagerman Foundation. "This bootcamp is just the first step in a progressive effort for greater inclusion and advancement."

The Develop(her) Bootcamps will offer training to 20 women full-time for ten weeks. Following the course, students will receive mentorship from the MCWT, an organization dedicated to engaging current and future technology leaders.

"Women make up a little more than half of the U.S. workforce, but hold only a quarter of the IT jobs. At Grand Circus, we are focused on closing that gap by making it easier for women to gain real-world experience through intensive career-changing bootcamps," said co-founder and CEO Damien Rocchi. "It is fitting that we are kicking off this bootcamp in Detroit and Flint – two cities that share a similar history – and we are confident that we have put together the right partnership to begin changing the narrative in both tech communities."

Applications for the Develop(her) Bootcamp will be accepted starting May 16. Women who are Michigan residents and are looking to launch a career in technology are encouraged to apply. The bootcamp will start July 18, and training and networking events will take place in both Flint and Detroit. For more information on the Develop(her) Bootcamp, visit www.grandcircus.co/women.

About The Hagerman Foundation

The Hagerman Foundation is a non-profit organization based in downtown Flint, MI. Its mission is to empower people through relationships that foster an impact for good and to support organizations that promote education, life skills, entrepreneurship, ministry, counseling, and the arts in surrounding communities.

About Grand Circus

Grand Circus is passionate about training people for amazing careers as developers through coding bootcamps and helping local businesses grow by hiring local tech superstars. The bootcamps serve both purposes: to give people critical skills for tech jobs while introducing them to businesses looking for talent. More than that, Grand Circus here for the broader Detroit community through coworking and events. For more information, visit www.grandcircus.co.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160511/366472

SOURCE The Hagerman Foundation