LPFI is thrilled to be one of four local organizations chosen to receive a substantial software grant from Microsoft to celebrate the upcoming Microsoft Store opening at Stanford Shopping Center. We need you to VOTE HERE to increase the grant size!

We are thrilled to be part of in the White House's Summer Jobs+ program and their recently announced initiative to leverage the tech industry and tech educators to connect low-income and underrepresented youth with tech skills, summer jobs and internships.  As we expand SMASH to campuses nationwide, more and more high potential, low income students of color will gain the tech skills and connections to tech internships that make a tremendous difference as they launch careers in STEM field

LPFI is pleased to be a partner with Grockit for Good, a one-for-one program bringing premium education products to students in need. Grockit is a leading adaptive educational gaming company. For every purchase of a test prep program, Grockit donates a subscription to Grockit Academy, a social, collaborative and individual learning platform covering core academic subjects for grades 7-12.

Here's the link to Allison and Freada's October 3, 2011 article in Women 2.0.  Key point:  Startups with women in significant leadership and technical positions illuminate the path for how all tech companies can become more welcoming and productive places to work.

Do tech companies put enough effort into diversity? Apparently not, says, The Tilted Playing Field, our latest report, released today. Here’s what we found:

(1)   IT workplace experiences vary significantly by race and gender...

Students of Color SMASHing Expectations

We recently celebrated the completion of SMASH: UC Berkeley 2011 with the lively Recognition and Exhibition Event, honoring the scholars' hard work, the fun, learning and community building that made for such a fabulous 5 weeks, and of course honoring the graduating SMASH seniors. 

View 2010 Annual Report.

We are so proud of our SMASH 2011 graduates. All 23 of them are going to college - and what a group of schools. They are heading to UCLA, Stanford, Cal, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Middlebury, Drexel, USF, GW, CSU Northridge, San Jose State, College of Wooster, UC Merced and MIT. 

Nonprofit employees believe that simply valuing diversity is not enough, according to our new report, The Voice of Nonprofit Talent:  Perceptions of Diversity in the Workplace, produced in partnership with Commongood Careers.  We found that across the nonprofit sector a significant disconnect exists between the stated values and beliefs of nonprofit organizations regarding the importance of racial diversity, and their attempts to proactively increase diversity and inclusiveness within their organizations.