July 5, 2022
IUPUI’s Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce initiative (Photo courtesy of the School of Informatics and Computing)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce (iDEW) initiative at IUPUI is receiving another $100,000 philanthropic investment from JPMorgan Chase to provide career support opportunities for underserved high school students across Indiana.
This year’s funding will help place 150 iDEW students in summer jobs, grow the number of underserved students in IT careers and allow 50 students to train, study and sit for industry certifications by the end of the summer. JPMorgan Chase has supported the Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce (iDEW) program since 2015, bringing its total investment to $700,000.
“The summer programs are extremely important for the iDEW students as they provide the much needed out-of-classroom experiences for the students to succeed in their future careers,” said Mathew J. Palakal, senior executive associate dean at the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI. “The support from JPMorgan Chase has been invaluable and timely, allowing the School of Informatics and Computing to provide this opportunity again this year.”
Co-founded and managed by the School of Informatics and Computing, iDEW has offered course instruction to over 2,500 students to date, in eight Indianapolis-area high schools, with many entering directly into the IT workforce. Since 2016, over 560 iDEW graduates have enrolled in post-secondary education – including Indiana University, Purdue University, Taylor University, Butler University, DePauw University and nine HBCUs – to complete two- and four-year degrees, 70 percent of which are in STEM fields.
“Supporting summer youth employment programs is one way we can help ensure more young people are exposed to critical learning experiences that enable them to benefit from an inclusive economy,” said Erin Shaw, executive director, market manager at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Indianapolis. “Early employment opportunities for students are incredibly valuable and often provide the necessary skills, network and experience they need for future career success and economic mobility.”
This $100,000 commitment is part of JPMorgan Chase’s new $20 million, five-year philanthropic investment to support summer youth employment programs (SYEPs) nationwide starting this summer. JPMorgan Chase is committed to supporting quality summer work opportunities for young people. In 2013, the firm made an initial commitment to increase the number of available summer jobs and expanded that commitment to $17 million across more than 20 sites in 2017. Since then, the firm has helped thousands of young adults benefit from learning and work experiences.
“Working in collaboration with our partners strengthens the link between the university and community,” said Valerie Gill, associate vice president of business partnerships. “JPMorgan Chase’s generous and continued commitment to the program allows iDEW students the opportunity to gain employment experience and critical skills, while supporting an inclusive workforce in Indiana.”
The iDEW program has received more than $2.3 million in support from over 18 partners to date, including Eli Lilly Foundation, AT&T Foundation, 3M and The Cummins Foundation among others. Industry partners support iDEW through student mentorship, company site visits, field trips, internships, and job opportunities.
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About the IU Office of Business Partnerships
The IU Office of Business Partnerships is the front door for industry partners seeking to cultivate strategic relationships with IU faculty, researchers, and students. Collaborating with industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the world, we build meaningful, sustainable, and mutually beneficial partnerships in support of education and research across Indiana and beyond.
About Informatics Diversity-Enhanced Workforce (iDEW)
Students can participate in iDEW for multiple years during high school, diving into new projects and learning modules as they advance through the program. Many will earn professional IT certifications that prepare them for the workforce or for going on to two-year or four-year academic paths in informatics. Working in teams, iDEW students present informatics projects that tackle real-world problems incorporating mobile apps, robotics, video games, internet of things, chatbots, data visualization and other trends in IT. Learn more online or contact Vicki Daugherty, iDEW program manager.
JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $4.0 trillion in assets and $285.9 billion in stockholders’ equity as of March 31, 2022. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
IU School of Informatics and Computing, IUPUI
The Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing is the first school of its kind in the nation and a leader in information and data science. The IU School of Informatics and Computing is committed to building a smart, diverse IT workforce through undergraduate and graduate programs in human-computer interaction, biomedical informatics, biohealth informatics, artificial intelligence, library and information science, applied data science, and media arts and science. https://soic.iupui.edu/