Organization Mission

The Stride Center is a social venture nonprofit, harnessing the power of technology to help men, women and families on the road to self-sufficiency and independence. The mission is to empower people facing barriers to employment to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

The Stride Center provides a comprehensive IT career development program, with over 1000 enrollments since 2000, and training programs in 4 Bay Area locations.

The curriculum is a proven comprehensive learning model in a professional environment for learning . Students are surrounded by staff and resources to ensure they can compete in the job market, including job skills training, credentials, career coaching, work experience and lifetime job placement assistance.

ReliaTech is the social venture, tech support business enterprise of the Stride Center. It provides a model of financial sustainability for the organization, paid student internships, and jobs for Stride Center graduates. ReliaTech also operates a computer refurbishing program, converting donated computer equipment into fully functioning equipment for underserved individuals and communities.

Community Served

San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, San Pablo, Oakland, Redwood City). High unemployment, high poverty, and barriers to employment. Communities with unemployment up to 18% and as many as 36% of households at poverty level.

Low Income

Unemployed and underemployed. 86% extremely low, 10% very low and 3% low income.

Barriers to Employment

Lack of marketable skills, former homelessness, former incarceration, eviction, substance abuse recovery, limited work skills, low education levels and limited English language proficiency.

Highly diverse population

48% African American, 20% Hispanic, 20% Asian.

Challenges

Economic Self Sufficiency

California is the 16th greatest economy in the world and yet there are pockets of profound poverty in every community. Individuals locked into the cycle of poverty will only find self sufficiency if they are prepared with marketable, in-demand job skills in well-paying fields with proven potential for career advancement. The IT field meets these demands.

Addressing Barriers to Employment

Many individuals living in poverty have developed barriers to employment, including lack of marketable skills, former incarceration, homelessness, , eviction, substance abuse recovery, limited work skills, low education levels and limited English language proficiency. An effective training program must deliver a full spectrum of employment preparation to accommodate the skills and experiential deficits of individuals with barriers to employment.

Breaking the cycle of failure

Individuals living in poverty and/or facing barriers to successful employment have frequently learned to live with failure, to such an extent that failure becomes expected. Helping these individuals experience a new cycle of success is a challenge worthy of creative, diligent action.

Sources of Funding

Contributed

Corporations, Foundations, Government local, State, Federal, Individuals

Earned Income

Tuition for intermediate and advanced computer learning, Resale earned income

Accomplishments (Snapshots)