From the Director
Prof. Willie Sanders, Jr.
Founder &
Executive Director
As the old saying goes, "Knowledge is power". Though it may be cliché, the statement rings true, especially in an increasingly digital world. Those individuals who have access to technology and an understanding of how to use it are seeing countless opportunities being opened up to them. In fact, the average salary for technology professionals is more than double that of the average salary for non-technical roles nationally. The doors are open for those with the technical know-how to walk through them.
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However, there is a huge barrier preventing many individuals from gaining the skills they need to succeed in this digital world. It all comes down to access to resources and training. Because technical training is so highly valued, many educational institutions and training organizations charge a premium price to gain access to the educational resources needed to become successful in Information Technology (IT). This puts the less fortunate among us at a huge disadvantage because now the skills that could change their academic and financial futures are out of reach because of their present finical state. This is why I founded Pass IT On in 2015. It was done out a deep desire to see youth and adults from underserved communities receive the same level of access and education in technology as their more affluent counterparts. I speak on this not as a second hand witness but as someone who has personally had their life changed through technology education.
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I am so proud of the impact that our Instructors, Volunteers, and Fellows have been able to make in the lives of the people we serve. We have become masters of using every penny provided by our donors and funders to the fullest potential to impact the lives of our program participants. On a small budget we have been able to impact hundreds of people's lives throughout Maryland and the surrounding region and I'm looking forward to what we will be able to do in the future.