Laboratoria is a social enterprise in Peru that trains young women to become employed web programmers. One of its founders is my former classmate at Columbia SIPA MPA-DP, Mariana Costa, who saw technology and entrepreneurial spirit as tools for supporting low income Peruvians to succeed. Laboratoria finds talented women youth from low-income backgrounds who cannot afford higher education and immerses them in a 6-month code bootcamp and leadership program. Upon graduation, Laboratoria supports them in job placement with tech companies in Lima.
Laboratoria is in the midst of an Indegogo campaign to get the funding needed to launch the next class in January 2015. They are very close to their goal, and could use some help to get there before the campaign ends (17 December). Check out the campaign here - it sounds like a really great program, and I know the people behind Laboratoria are very skilled, intelligent, creative, and passionate.
