ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Thoma Foundation partnered with the Central New Mexico Community College Ingenuity program to fund a new UX/UI (User Experience/User Interface) Deep Dive Coding Bootcamp to help students in rural areas throughout New Mexico. The partnership will provide full scholarships, laptops, and other resources for 16 students ages 18 to 29.
The funding is being delivered through The Thoma Equity Grant Rural Deep Dive Scholarship Program and the nearly $100,000 gift will create 16 full scholarships, pay for equipment like laptops, and help with other expenses such as internet connections. The part-time UX/UI boot camp curriculum focuses on the intersection of art and technology and will prepare the students for a variety of tech jobs in user experience, user interface, user research, and graphic design.
CNM’s Ingenuity team is excited about the partnership because it allows the program to work with specific communities throughout the state who can benefit from this training. Andrea Sisneros-Wichman, the Deep Dive Program Director, said they are excited to offer these resources to provide greater access to job opportunities.
“Our goal is to try to serve a diverse audience and make our programs as accessible as possible for anybody, not just those in central New Mexico, or not just those who can afford it. We’re always seeking opportunities like this partnership with the Thoma Foundation to try to give other people a chance at a great job-training opportunity,” Sisneros-Wichman said.
Sisneros-Wichman said they hope to have more scholarships for these training camps in the future. As far as what constitutes a “rural area”, she said that extends to anywhere outside of the metropolitan Albuquerque and Santa Fe area. “This is a fantastic opportunity for those around the state who might not be able to attend our in-person trainings. We’re just looking to serve a wider audience and we’re excited to form these kinds of partnerships,” Sisneros-Wichman said.
The UX/UI boot camp runs Aug. 23 through Dec. 3 and students will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Applications are now open and the deadline to apply is July 12. Interested students who have a high school diploma and are aged 18 to 29 are encouraged to learn more and apply here.
