Career Kickstart Bootcamp

WHEN CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATE

A holistic, non-traditional career and life coaching framework to inspire and empower women to live successful and happy lives.

The Career Kickstart Bootcamp takes a unique approach to teaching women personal and professional skills, while introducing our students to opportunities in the Technology industry. Classes are hosted by local culture and industry experts. Students will learn about career opportunities in Technology through Subject Matter Experts, mentors, talking story, and community interactions.

Our goal is to inspire women to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and decide what kind of life they want to live. Then learn skills that can get them there faster. We've partnered with education and job placement organizations to empower women to enter the workforce.

About the Program

Why Here? Why Now?

Our Pilot Proof-of-Concept Approach

Technology jobs are coming to the Pacific Islands.
Companies want to hire local, but the current workforce does not have the skills required to support future demand.
Many workforce development efforts are being created for existing college-level students. However, fewer students from Hawai'i schools are entering post-secondary education paths.
The Career Kickstart Bootcamp program is intended to generate more students into technology education paths from high school into post-secondary-focused workforce development programs.
Additionally, there is a technology talent shortage globally, especially for women leaders in the technology industry and the industry is heavily vested in attracting women to leadership roles.
Many of today’s positions in technology are available to work remotely for people with the right skills, which opens opportunities for the people of Hawai'i to the whole world .

Our Pilot Proof-of-Concept Approach

Photo by Dmitriy Ganin from Pexels
Women touching water

Our pilot program will be a 3-week in-person “Technology Exploration” (Tech Ex) course focuses on developing foundational Personal Development and Professional Skills, in a culturally significant way, while introducing students to the IT world and potential career opportunities with guest speakers through stories and conversations with industry leaders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Our Personal Development section allows our students to figure out who they are and who they want to be. Some topics we work on include Goal Setting, Values, Self-Confidence, Meditation & Affirmations, Personal Care, Limiting Beliefs, Respect (for self and others), Responsibility, Accountability, Building Wealth, and more.

Our Professional Skills section help our students develop the skills to be an excellent employee in the corporate world. Some topics include Communication Skills, Behavioral Styles, Networking, Job Finding/Interviewing Skills, Presentation Skills, Accepting and Using Feedback, and more.

Our Target Pilot Program Students

Our Pilot Proof-of-Concept Approach

Our Target Pilot Program Students

Photo by Levi Guzman
Women silhouettes in sunset

Female High School Graduate / GED within the last 4 years
Not currently enrolled in post-secondary education
Undecided or unsure what type of work they want to do or "what they want to be when they grow up"
Wants to be successful but not sure how or what that means
Is brave enough to invest the time to improve herself and become a lifelong learner
Willing to come with a desire for success and happiness, and an open mind to learn.

Frequently Asked Questions

This is a new program, if you have additional questions, please contact us and ask away...

What is your unique approach that will make this program a success?

This program has been created as a community collaboration between culture, community, and technology.

Culture Collaboration: Co-created with the local community based on conversations with families, leaders, teachers, and students, and local studies on Workforce Development talent needs and Youth in Hawai’i. The location is a private garden on the west side of Oahu, instead of a traditional classroom.
Dynamic Duo Teaching Experience: Facilitators include a leader in technology with over 25 years of experience in consulting and corporate training, Kim Demetreu, and local cultural icon with over 35 years of teaching on-island cultural studies, women’s empowerment, and hula, Kumu Hula Iwalani Tseu.
Repeatable Framework: We will develop a repeatable framework intended to be reproduced in other communities throughout the Pacific Islands.
Holistic Approach: We focus teaching foundational leadership skills on the whole person with personal development skills, professional skills that will aide in success in any career path. We introduce students to new opportunities in technology they may not have had access to, through talking stories with experienced Subject Matter Experts.
Community Involvement: Local community guest speakers and mentors engage with the students by bringing lunch and talking about how their career paths and life lessons in the garden.
Pathway and Plan for Student Success: We have partnered with local education providers to help our students find financial aid, scholarships, career counseling, and job placement services to provide our students with an action plan immediately upon completing the course.

What additional support will the students receive?

Our goal is to create a program that will partner with students through personal coaching and mentorship, as well as partner with other local community programs to support students on their career path.

At the end of the session, we have partnered with education and career partners to support students with pursuing a career, such as:

Leeward Community College that will offer career counseling to students and help them understand curriculum paths and financial aid options
MedCerts will offer advise students of certification opportunities, help students find funding to complete technical certificate programs, and then help place them in jobs
Virtual Assistant Academy has offered scholarships that will allow students to complete Virtual Executive Assistant training to become paid Virtual Assistants as an opportunity to start getting immediate work experience.

What personal and professional skills will be introduced in the full bootcamp?

We will be covering a wide variety of topics including:

Personal Development:

Success Principles
Self Confidence, Inner Beauty & Strength
Understanding and Defining Your Values
Goal Setting & Affirmations
100% Responsibility & Accountability
Respect for Self and Others
Meditation
Self Care & Personal Presentation
Growth Mindset
Emotional Intelligence
Financial Skills

Professional Skills:

Communications Skills & Styles
Behavioral Styles
Personality
Leadership
Executive Presence
Understanding Your Strengths
Delivering Presentations
Design Thinking & Problem Solving
Time Management
Meeting Management
Accepting and Using Feedback
Building Your Network
Interview & Job Search Skills

What technology will you focus on?

Our Pilot program will introduce our students to a wide variety of terms, roles, and concepts that are directly and indirectly related to careers in technology. Some examples of roles we will explore include: Program Management, Business Analysis, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Software Developer, Cloud Engineer, Networking, etc.

Our students will have the opportunity to explore different career paths with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and mentors to learn how various opportunities align with their interests and passions.

Guest speakers and mentors will talk story with the students to help them understand what they like about their roles and how they got into them. We want to show students that there are a wide variety of opportunities that available to them that they may not have previously considered.

Do I need to know anything about technology to participate?

No. This program is designed to be a basic introduction to career opportunities and help the students understand what a day in the life of a <Insert Tech Role> looks like and what a path to a successful career might look like.

We want to get students comfortable thinking about opportunities that they may not have been previously known were available or thought were possible.

We will be highlighting both technical and non-traditional tech roles, such as Program Managers, Business Analysts, User Experience to show students that you don't need to be a programmer to develop a successful career in tech.

What are the expected outcomes of the pilot program?

Our goal is for our students to have a better understanding of themselves, of others, and enroll in training for a career that will support their purpose, passions, and vision of the life they want.

How much will this cost attendees

Selected attendees will be awarded full scholarships to attend and they must be willing to make the investment of time in themselves.

How can I help?

We are just starting out and need all the help we can get! If you can help with any of the following, please reach out to Kim@InspirationalFoundations.org or call us at 808-909-7899.

Sponsorships & Grants: Support our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Students to Attend: Female students that have graduated high school or earned her GED from and are not currently enrolled in post-secondary education and have the desire to do more and be more.
Presenters: Topic & Industry experts that will bring lunch for our students and spend up to 2 hours talking story about their career, opportunities in local businesses, or valuable life lessons.
Postsecondary Education Partners: Community Colleges & Certification Programs
Mentors: Provide mentorship to students that have completed the program for 1 year after the bootcamp.
Internships & Scholarships: Partners that will offer internships/scholarships to program graduates
Interns: 3-4 depending on the funding received
Technology Assistance: Computers, Printers, Wi-fi Equipment
Community Leadership Support: We are a new organization are looking for Board Members

Will students receive a stipend to attend?

No. We are not offering a stipend to students at this time. Our programs are half days so that students will be able to work while attending.

We are currently looking for partners to assist with providing a stipend and assistance for transportation, babysitting, or other related expenses.

What is the process for participating as a student?

Students will complete an application, submit a 1-page paper or 1-minute video, and complete an interview process that will determine eligibility and fit for the Pilot Program.

Click here to learn more and apply

What is the process for participating as a speaker or mentor?

Contact Kim@InspirationalFoundations.org or 808-909-7899 to volunteer to be a mentor, speaker, or volunteer!