As many companies have changed their priorities over the last few years, Techtonica has had difficulty relying on a corporate sponsorship model. As a result, Techtonica is adopting a tuition-based model with need-based, sliding-scale, subsidized tuition and stipend scholarships to enable the program to serve more participants, in addition to continuing to seek sponsorships. Our H2 cohort in 2024 will take place from July to November instead of July to December like in past years, with the last month of group placement prep eliminated. It is possible that we will secure some placements for this cohort, but it is not guaranteed.

Tuition for the 2024 H2 cohort is $18,000. The total cost has been subsidized to lower the price to an amount that is less expensive than other programs at a cost of $1,000 per week (from Hackbright at $1,075/week to General Assembly at $2,183/week). Tuition paid upfront receives a 15% overall discount. For example, the full $18,000 cost of tuition when paid upfront with the 15% discount comes out to $15,300.

If you will not have $18,000 beyond 10 months of living costs, you are eligible to apply for a partial or full scholarship. If you will not be able to cover tuition or 10 months of living costs, you are eligible to apply for a tuition scholarship as well as a monthly stipend. Only those determined to be in need of full scholarships will be considered for monthly stipends.

The program usually runs Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Pacific Time) for six months (from January to June and July to December). The July 2024 cohort will be just five months, running from July to November. The training is followed by six months of remote job placement or job search and community support. Participants who work the hardest and meet and exceed expectations will be invited to continue. We do not recommend working during the program. We do not provide medical medical insurance, so we recommend you google programs in your area (like MediCal in California). We also can't help with visas, student or otherwise.

For participants with ADHD, we can provide accommodations and resources. We encourage open communication around what works best for you.

Note: Techtonica is not set up to provide wraparound or crisis services (try the Crisis Text Line) such as for mental or physical health, housing, finding childcare, escaping abuse, etc. We encourage you to google services in your area. Threats of violence against yourself or others will result in us ceasing all contact with you and possibly initiating a welfare check.

Techtonica participants will learn to do full-stack web development using JavaScript. Upon successful completion of the program, some participants will be placed with available partner companies via a two-way interview and rating system. We aim to accept 12-20 participants to each cohort. If you are placed with a company and you both meet the requirements, you may earn an OJT ("On-the-Job Training") certificate from the State of California's Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

What bootcamps and Techtonica have in common is the fact that they are intensive training. However, bootcamps can be pretty passive classroom learning with students and they cost between $15,000 and $30,000. Techtonica aims to be more like the workplace to make the transition into the industry better—instead of having an instructor constantly guiding you (which you won't have in any software engineering job), you are given a general schedule of topics and assignments (see our curriculum repo for an idea of the resources provided) and you're expected to figure out what to do on your own or in collaboration with volunteers, mentors, tech groups, other participants, and Techtonica staff. Because our resources are open-source, they are continuously being improved and you can even make improvements as you work through them. In the best jobs, there are regular check-ins with very understanding managers and mentors provide regular support, but that is not always the case. Techtonica’s program is as hands-on and project-based as possible to best prepare you for work in tech. You'll also be expected to speak and present in front of people often—a very useful skill to have for a successful career.

The schedule includes knowledge checks to give you a reason to review what you've learned, to provide you with feedback on where you need to improve, and to prepare you for long-term success in the workplace. As we consider your progress, we take everything you do in the program into account (not just assessments)—if you're on time and present, if you're meeting deadlines, if you're completing assignments, if you're following process, if you're communicating about your needs, if you're consistently meeting with your mentors, if you're building your network, if you're collaborating well, if you're solving problems, if you're dealing with the stress of an intensive program well, if you're lifting others with you, if you're reading instructions, how your mentor feels you're doing, how you indicate you're doing in surveys and one-on-ones, etc. If we see any indications you’re struggling in one area, we look more closely at everything else and we work out a plan for improvement. Consistent problems and lack of improvement could indicate someone’s not ready to continue the program. The board discusses such cases to decide what should be done. Because of the high expectations of our program and partners, not everyone completes the program.

Intensive programs, career transitions, and learning and working with technical concepts—these are all stressful, difficult things. If we accept you to our program, we believe in your ability to step up to the challenge and handle stress in a healthy way, and you should believe in that ability and look at every new step as something preparing you for tech. In many ways, tech will be much harder than this program and this is your chance to work out how you’re going to react when faced with bigger challenges. Are you able to train yourself to calmly accept challenges, to open your minds to growth, to manage your stress levels in a healthy way, and to learn whatever’s needed to succeed? Do you contribute to a safe, inclusive environment?

You are eligible to apply for Techtonica’s full-time program if you:

• are a woman (cis OR trans) or non-binary adult. We especially encourage Latinx, Black, and non-binary folks to apply.
• are digitally literate, meaning you are very familiar and good with computers and the internet, can type 50+ WPM with 80%+ accuracy, and you know how to use a mouse/trackpad, browsers, and email
• at the very least graduated from high school or received your GED
• completed the JavaScript pre-req (see the Application Process section below)
• can commit to always being present and on time and prepared
• are willing to be part of the program during Pacific Time hours
• are dedicated to building a long-term career in tech and contributing to a diverse, inclusive, equitable tech environment
• have housing that will be stable for the entirety of the six months of full-time training and the following six months
• are willing to live in the U.S. if required by placement company
• have a U.S. bank account
• have the proof that you are legally employable in the United States at the time of application (we can't help with visas)
• agree to work at an assigned partner company if we match you upon successful completion of six months of training
• are willing to appear in Techtonica's media and pitch yourself to Techtonica's partners
• have not attended a full-time coding bootcamp, completed a C.S. degree, or worked as a software engineer in the last six years
• can have high-speed internet set up by the start of the program
• agree to abide by Techtonica's Code of Conduct, Participant Handbook, and Participant Agreement
• haven't already applied three times
• (for white applicants) are willing to do personal anti-racism work
• have attended at least one of the study night groups for the application process

If you don't get in the first time, you can apply two more times for a maximum of three times, and they do not have to be consecutive application rounds. Applicants that passed their final round of the incomplete Fall 2023 application process will be invited to continue participating in the July 2024 cohort's application process. If you have any special circumstances that make you question your eligibility for Techtonica’s program, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to discuss with you. If you are interested in Techtonica but cannot participate in the next cohort, please fill out our interest form and we will alert you when applications open.

You are probably not a good fit if you:

• would rather be passively trained than learn through discovery
• prefer always being told exactly what to do
• won't prioritize your participation in the program
• have unaddressed mental or physical health issues, insecure housing, no internet or can't manage the stress of quickly learning a whole new career in a healthy way
• don't like when plans change
• can't advocate for yourself
• don't like details
• don't get along with everyone
• don't care about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• are quickly frustrated every time you get stuck on a problem
• don't feel comfortable asking questions until you understand complicated concepts
• can't lay aside learning everything about something in place of just learning enough to make progress on your work
• take longer than most people to learn and apply new concepts
• aren't sure if you want to be a software engineer
• can’t give, receive or implement constructive feedback with an open mind

For the January to June ("H1") cohort, the application forms open, emails to interested folks go out, and forms close again around September. For the July to December ("H2") cohort, the application forms open, emails to interested folks go out, and forms close again around March. For the 2024 H2 cohort, applications open in April and close in May. The application process continues for about four to five weeks after applications close, with candidates eliminated at each step of the process.