‘Tech Talent 4 Good’ brings students and nonprofits together

Wouldn’t it be amazing to combine a passion for technology with a unique opportunity to do something worthwhile for a charitable organization? This week we are celebrating the launch of the “Tech Talent 4 Good” initiative in Europe that aims to accomplish just that.

For many years at Microsoft, we have been deeply committed to ensuring the magic of software is accessible to the nonprofit community. Nonprofit organizations strive to serve communities and fill social and economic gaps particularly in tough economic times, when resources are increasingly tight. The transformational power of technology for such organizations is profound and is something I have witnessed firsthand again and again. Last year as part of this commitment our company donated over $80m in software and cash to 6,600 non-profits in Europe.

Access alone however, is not enough. IT services, support and know-how are a fundamental part of unleashing the power of technology for nonprofits. This is why we are piloting a new initiative to engage IT students in Europe to help nonprofits and charitable organizations to get the greatest benefits from technology.

In partnership with AIESEC International, the world's largest student-run organization, the Microsoft Community Affairs Unlimited Potential program is very excited to introduce the “Tech Talent 4 Good” internship program. Through a competitive selection process, we are offering 10 internships to European IT students or recent graduates for a 2 month period (July-August 2011) with 10 nonprofit, charitable organizations around Europe.

We are looking to engage the energy and passion of IT graduates fresh out of college through an opportunity to do something good. This is the chance for students to apply their technology skills and creativity working in a nonprofit environment and above all to learn about the critical role of technology in optimizing day to day operations to serve the most vulnerable in society.

You can learn more about the application process here. As part of the process candidates will be asked to consider reality based scenarios for non-profit organizations and provide recommendations. This internship program is open to IT students or recent IT graduates in Europe during this initial pilot year. 

Sylvie Laffarge, Director Community Affairs Europe at Microsoft.

Sylvie J. Laffarge is Director of Community Affairs and oversees Microsoft’s community and philanthropic investments and outreach in Europe. This includes leading Microsoft’s flagship community investment programs including the Unlimited Potential, Community Technology Skills Program, software donations and employee volunteering.