Spring 2026 Cohort Highlight
From Bio-Labs to OpenAI | Josue’s Journey
Breaking into March: Cracking the Code into Hardware and AI
Hello Dev/Mission family! We are thrilled to share the momentum our Spring 2026 cohort built throughout March. From hands-on PC “break-and-builds” in the classroom to site visits, our trainees are fully immersing themselves in the field.
The Hardware Hack: Break and Build
This month, our pre-apprentices got “under the hood” for an exciting PC teardown and rebuild session! For most of our trainees, this was their first time handling the internal components that power the digital world. Trainees gained hands-on experience identifying motherboards, CPUs, and RAM.
It was exciting to see them handle tech from the inside out. We are so proud of their growth as they master these essential hardware skills!
Financial Literacy with Wells Fargo!
Our cohort spent a day at Wells Fargo for a “Hands-On Banking” experience. Trainees tackled real-world budgeting challenges, navigating expenses such as groceries, transportation, and utility bills to build essential life skills! We truly believe career readiness means having confidence in your finances just as much as your tech skills.
We are incredibly grateful to Wells Fargo for hosting such a practical and informative workshop for our pre-apprentices. It’s one more way we’re ensuring our youth are fully prepared to step into the tech industry!
The Future of Tech: Verizon Site Visit!
Our cohort also went to Verizon’s Innovation Lab to learn about the emerging technologies shaping our world. From VR to 5G applications, our trainees saw innovation in action and understood how these tools are transforming the tech field.
We are so grateful to the Verizon team for having us and for creating an engaging and educational experience for our young adults. Special thanks to Dan Setterby, Ian Ramskov, Irene Mak, Christine Keener, Venkatesh Konanur, and Alina Boltunova for leading the tour, sharing insights, and inspiring our cohort.
AI Media Literacy Workshops
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our AI Media Literacy Pilot Program! Over the next six weeks, our trainees will dive into the world of Artificial Intelligence, exploring how models are trained and gaining hands-on experience with object recognition. These workshops will empower our youth to understand how to leverage AI ethically in their future careers.
We want to thank our passionate volunteers for leading these workshops and sharing their expertise. We can’t wait to see our trainees master these skills!
Celebrating BDL Cohort #20
This month, we also celebrated the graduation of cohort #20! The students joined the BDL classes with limited tech experience but left with the confidence to navigate the digital world. We are inspired by their growth and dedication over the past few weeks. Every graduation brings us one step closer to closing the digital divide!
If you or someone you know is interested in gaining basic digital literacy skills, make sure to sign up! The classes will be in Spanish for our next cohort.
Volunteer Highlight Series
We launched a Volunteer Highlight Series to celebrate the incredible Google volunteers and mentors who power our mission. These highlights showcase the impact of our volunteers and mentors and how they guide our trainees through their technical journeys. We are so grateful for the dedication of our volunteers!
If you or someone you know is passionate about shaping the next generation of tech leaders, we invite you to join us!
Volunteers Needed: Help Bridge the Diversity Gap in Tech!
People of color and women have historically been underrepresented in the tech field, and they continue to make up a small percentage of employees at the world’s leading tech companies.
The Diversity Gap In The Tech Field
According to the Google 2024 Diversity Report:
- Only 6.4% of Google employees in the tech department are Hispanic/Latinx, and only 4.2% are Black
- Only 27.2% of Google employees in the tech sector are Female
How Dev/Mission Is Bridging This Gap
We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to contribute their unique perspectives to build products that serve everyone, especially underserved communities.
- Our main goal is to increase diversity in the tech industry by exposing young people to tech and creating a sense of belonging so that everyone can envision themselves in the industry and believe they bring value to it
- Out of 600+ enrolled trainees since 2017:
- 340+ went on to pursue jobs in tech
- 40% have been Female
We Can’t Do It Alone: We Need You!
Help us turn passion into opportunities by empowering our trainees as they embark on their tech careers. Be one of the reasons why they choose to pursue a career in tech by serving as a role model and a resource for them.
- Help students gain confidence in their technical skills
- Share your journey and guide them as they start theirs
- Empower trainees to see themselves in this industry
- Create opportunities where there were none
Volunteer Roles Available
- Instructor/Tutor: Teach our trainees valuable skills
- Mentor: Serve as a role model for our trainees as they jumpstart their tech careers
- Teacher Assistant: Assist the instructor during the lecture to support the trainees’ learning
- Workshop Facilitator: Expose our trainees to other career options by teaching on a topic such as UX Design, AI, Cybersecurity, and more!
- And more!
Benefits Of Being A Volunteer
- Flexible volunteer opportunities
- Expand your professional network
- Make an impact on our trainees’ futures
- Serve as a role model for our trainees
- Join a purpose-driven community
Words From Our Students
“Denisse has been super vital to my career journey when I wasn’t sure where or how to get started. As a young Latina woman in male-dominated spaces, it can be intimidating to put yourself and your work out there. Denisse has taught me how to find confidence in my journey and be proud of my accomplishments. She encourages me to seek opportunities in the tech industry by helping me network and teaching me how to present my experiences and skills with confidence.
Having a powerful, successful, confident female role model in my life has been so important for me. I know I can always count on her for advice and support. I am so grateful for Dev/Mission for crossing our paths together.”
Paola Ayala
UX Designer and Project Coordinator at San Jose State University“My favorite part about having a mentor was definitely having someone to reach out to for career advice. The advice and guidance I got through my mentorship helped me then and now. Without it, I’m not sure where I would be or what career path I’d be going down.
“My mentor also challenged me to do things outside my comfort zone. I attended tech events and networked with people because of him, things I normally would have chosen not to do. Nowadays, I’m more inclined to attend events and reach out to people for advice. He 100% helped me become more confident.”
Octavio Lara Ramirez
Community Technology Ambassador at Dev/MissionLimited Time? No Worries!
- Whether you have just a few hours a month or want to mentor long-term, you can still contribute to our mission!
- You can volunteer remotely or join us in person, making it easy to give back in a way that fits your schedule.
Upcoming Volunteer Orientation Dates
Join us for a 1-hour orientation to learn more about our mission to increase opportunities in tech and motivate diverse youth to pursue tech careers. Meet our passionate team, explore volunteer roles, and learn how you can help empower the next generation!
- Thursday, March 19th at 5:00 PM
- Thursday, April 21st at 5:00 PM
Hear From Our Google Volunteers
Meet Mary, a Google software engineer and dedicated volunteer in our pre-apprenticeship program! Mary brings her passion for technology to our students by teaching IoT and inspiring the next generation of tech leaders.
We’re grateful for volunteers like Mary who make a real difference in our community. For the rest of the month, we will highlight more volunteers and showcase how they are empowering future innovators across all our social media channels.
