Orange County is marking National Community Development Week April 6-10 by highlighting Community Development Block Grant recipients. During the current fiscal year, the county allocated $3.5 million in CDBG funding to 20 nonprofit organizations. Per Scholas Orlando received $50,000 to enhance marketing and outreach, the first time the nonprofit has received CDBG support.
Per Scholas offers tuition-free technology training for adults facing economic hardship in fields including cloud computing, cybersecurity, data engineering, IT support and software engineering. Its downtown Orlando campus graduated 85 students last year and expects to serve 140 graduates in 2026. The organization reports that approximately 80 percent of graduates secure full-time IT employment within one year. Zain Ansari, who holds a four-year political science degree, said the 12-to-15-week program allowed him to change careers quickly and affordably without returning to college.
Press release issued by Orange County Government Newsroom:
https://newsroom.ocfl.net/2026/04/cdbg-funding-helps-launch-tech-careers/
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