Urban Technology Project

The Urban Technology Project (UTP) is a joint enterprise between Communities in Schools of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia, focusing on “opportunity youth” –young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not currently working or in school. The Digital Services Fellows (DSF) Pre-Apprenticeship program is for recent Philadelphia high school graduates who are interested in information technology (IT). Participants receive mentorship from a technician or a computer support specialist in how to repair computers, organizational systems, IT project management, and other skills for being a good field support technician. DSF participants who excel are given an opportunity to interview for the RAP, which typically places 80% of the Pre-Apprenticeship graduates. UTP serves a diverse population, including people with disabilities such as Derek, who has noted that the apprenticeship has not only provided him technical training, but has also taught him “how to be professional in the working world as a person with a disability.”