Nas Links with Microsoft & Google for Tech Scholarships

General Assembly, a private New York City technical school with a specialization in computer programming and engineering, has created a new fund to redress the dearth of minority participation in the tech sphere. Nas has recently partnered with Hirepurpose, Microsoft and Google to help fund this initiative. Nasir’s QueensBridge Venture Partners project will provide the funds for scholarships to African-Americans and Latinos, while Google will fund women and Microsoft and Hirepurpose will pay for veterans to attend the school. According to census data, most programmers, coders, developers, and engineers are white and Asian men. The “opportunity fund’s” goal is to bridge the wide gap between the technical vocational skills and other ethnic groups, and give the same opportunities to the aforementioned groups. General Assembly CEO Jake Schwartz:

“This is the start of what hopefully will be a contribution to what will be a more diverse and accessible community worldwide.”

Earlier this week, news arrived that Kanye West and Common have joined forced with Urban League to create 20,000 in Chicago’s youth. Good week indeed.