Catalyzing futures for high schoolers through free tech, mentorship, and community
FTF is dedicated to uplifting low-income students of underrepresented backgrounds in NYC through a one year leadership enrichment program that provides free tech access, targeted mentorship, digital skills training, and insight into varied career pathways, while showing students the opportunities that exist and guiding them on how to attain them.
Our Story
Josue De Paz moved to the US as a child and was raised to learn as many things as possible. Seeing that a computer would open up Josue’s world of possibilities, his mom worked extra jobs in order to provide him with a personal laptop and dial-up internet.
Not only was he able to excel at school, setting him up to receive full scholarships to both Loyola High School and Santa Clara University, but it also allowed him to be able to learn skills that furthered his life in countless ways and completely changed the trajectory of his entire life.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, First Tech Fund was born out of recognizing that students without access to technology would fall even further behind as schools moved towards online learning.