This Kansas City nonprofit teaching underprivileged adults computer skills beneficiary of 3-Degree Guarantee

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - At a time when technology is always changing, people out of school now may not be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.

This has been a growing problem in Kansas City, especially for people who couldn’t afford their own devices growing up. Now, the non-profit IC Stars is changing that so this month they’re part of KCTV5′s 3-Degree Guarantee fundraiser.

It hasn’t been easy, but Donshay Somborn and Braxton Dennis have optimism for their future.

“After you go through this program there’s not much you can throw at us that I can’t catch and be able to turn into gold,” Somborn reflected. “That’s the truth.”

“Prior coming to I.C Stars I did not like getting on a computer whatsoever,” Dennis added. “Now, I’ve honed in on the skills to actually create an application, manage it, through those technical skills.”

I.C Stars interns typically come from low-income lifestyles. But their teachers help them break past that barrier in access to technology.

“We see stars, we see opportunity, we see that we have a real opportunity to make a change in young adults lives,” I.C Stars Kansas City Executive Director Shamika Hogan explained. “By providing access to technology which we know could be the equalizer to create opportunity for change.”

Up to 20 students at a time are accepted to the course. Each graduate gets up to 24-months of outgoing support while finding work. Each day they learn and master new computer skills. If you would like to apply, click here.

“We have a lot of I.T guests that come in from different companies,” Dennis told KCTV. “CIO’s come in to talk to us.”

“We do business and leadership workshops,” Somborn said. “So that could be either time management, active listening, communication, we do team building as well.”

Anyone who enrolls in one of I.C Stars Cycles gets a free laptop to train on. The course goes on for 14 weeks, but preparing interns for the jobs of tomorrow goes way beyond the classroom for I.C Stars.

“Whether they have housing insecurity, they need assistance with their cell phone, or Uber Chord, or to be able to pay their groceries,” Hogan listed. “We have dollars available to support them.”

The program is growing and so does its need for help. This month, KCTV will donate up to $1400 through Three Degrees Guaranteed. You too can donate by clicking here.

“One of the problems or issues that continue to rise is transportation,” Hogan stated. “So, I think having those dollars can help support transportation for some of our interns.”

Interns who graduate, like Donshay who can focus on a career in the digital era. Setting his sights on healthcare.

“I would love to go back and work on our POS systems, how we chart, how we communicate,” Somborn plans. “I feel like if we can work on our telecommunication especially, we can be more patient-focused.”

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