Break Through Tech AI is a free program that launched (the summer of 2022) at UCLA. This program aims to connect underrepresented students across Southern California to the skills necessary for careers in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Currently, Break Through Tech AI at UCLA has 23 students enrolled from 12 different institutions (community colleges as well as private and public universities) in Southern California. The majority of students in this inaugural cohort are underrepresented first-generation and Pell-eligible. A key part of the program’s mission is to positively impact the number of women who secure jobs in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Of the Break Through Tech AI at UCLA, 92% are identified as women, with 4% transgender and 4% non-binary.

The program encompasses three components: an eight-week machine learning skill-building summer course, and an industry challenge where students work to develop solutions using an open source data germane to a particular company. This team-based learning experience offers students an opportunity to lean on each other to build confidence, develop their project-based and team-based delivery skills and build community. Simultaneously students receive coaching and mentorship from experienced industry practitioners as well as a $2000 stipend to cover basic expenses. The goal of each of these components of the program is to enhance students’ employability and help them secure internships and full-time employment.

At the moment, the students enrolled at Break Through Tech at UCLA are working on their second industry challenge via a Kaggle competition. Many students have used their first challenge to develop their resumes and their Linkedin profiles and have successfully secured internships and full-time jobs. To date, 48% of the students have accepted offers at companies such as JP Morgan, PWC, Bank of America, Microsoft, Google, Siemens, and Accenture. As one student stated, “This program took me from simply being passionate about AI to seeing and charting a course towards a career path that is tangible and concrete.”

The program is successfully on the path to scaling up from 23 students to a cohort of 100 students for the summer of 2023. Applications are now open. All undergraduate sophomores and juniors enrolled at colleges or universities in Southern California are eligible to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the final deadline on April 21, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Break Through Tech AI at UCLA is also actively engaged in recruiting company partners for mentorship and industry challenges. For companies looking to partner, please complete the following form.