Reason One Mentorship & Scholarship Program
Reason One recognizes the steep barriers that systemic racism and inequality have placed in our society. The reality of our current climate and the disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities has led us to take action by supporting and investing in the Black community.
Representation Matters
The tech industry has an inequality and representation problem because of systemic barriers against members of racialized communities. As technology sees extensive growth and demand, Black people remain dramatically underrepresented in the field.
In fact, Black tech workers make up only 2.6% in Canada’s tech industry, and just 7% in the United States. This lack of diversity in the industry presents a barrier to innovation and exposes the harmful effect of racial bias in technology, which negatively impacts all communities.
In order to create a more equitable future in the field, we have to be active participants in providing equity to those working in our industry.
Applications for the 2023 program are now closed. Check back for more updates.
Program details
The Reason One Mentorship & Scholarship Program awards scholarship and mentorship opportunities to Black students who are enrolled or recently accepted in a digital-related program, pursuing or with plans to pursue a career in the tech industry.
This program is explicitly focused on removing the systemic, financial, and socio-economic barriers that Black students encounter in tech career paths.
The Reason One Mentorship & Scholarship Program is offering:
- Three students a $5,000 scholarship towards application fees, textbooks, and other expenses
- One year of mentorship and professional development support from Reason One team members
The deadline to apply is May 7, 2023.
To be eligible, you must:
- Identify as Black, African American, African Canadian or African-descent
- Be between the ages of 17-35 years old
- Live in Ontario, Canada or South Carolina, USA
- Be enrolled or accepted to a full or part-time digital-related program at a college, university, or specialized program (such as a Bootcamp, etc.)
- Have an interest in pursuing a career in the tech industry
- Have demonstrated financial need/support
Have questions? Check out our FAQs.
How to apply
You'll need to submit an online application by May 7, 2023.
Each application requires the following:
- Information on your background, including:
- Educational transcript(s)
- School and community-related activities or programs
- Honors and awards that you may have received
- Work experience
- "Your story" as a document or video:
- 500 words if written, or less than 5 minutes if video
- Your story can provide an overview of your academic and/or professional background, and answer questions like:
- What are your career goals?
- What innovative projects have you worked on?
- Why would you benefit from this program?
- Recommendations:
- Provide the contact information for at least two references. They can be academic, professional, or character references.
Timeline
All applications will be reviewed after the April 29th deadline by a selection committee. The top ten candidates will be contacted for a virtual interview. The chosen scholarship applicants will be notified in June 2022.
All materials must be submitted through the online application. Emailed or mailed documents will not be accepted.
For questions, please email: romsp@reasononeinc.com