By Chloe Kline
Eleven Fifty Academy, a nonprofit “code academy and coding bootcamp,” is offering cybersecurity and information technology classes at a fraction of the cost of a four-year university, according to founder and CEO Scott Jones.
Jones said he created the nonprofit academy, 12175 Visionary Way, Fishers, to give people an easier and more cost-effective track to gain skills in the tech industry, including coding foundations, cybersecurity and full stack software development.
Eleven Fifty Academy offers full-time and part-time course options for students. The nonprofit is “an award-winning coding and cybersecurity bootcamp that teaches people the technical and essential skills to pivot careers rapidly, according to its website.
“You do not have to be good at math, but you do need problem-solving skills,” Jones said. “Eleven Fifty does not replace college, but rather give students an additional education to help them succeed.”
In July 2021, Eleven Fifty Academy received a $5 million Lilly Endowment Grant to make an impact in underserved communities.
Jones said he designed the academy to ensure all who have a passion for problem-solving and the desire to succeed in the tech field can enrolled in courses. He said Eleven Fifty courses can be completed 16 times faster than a traditional four-year college degree program.
“We are radically less expensive than a college degree,” he said. “No one understands the real cost of college is losing four years of gaining money.”
Eleven Fifty does not receive traditional educational funding from the state, such as Pell Grants. Jones played a central part in creating the Accelerate Indiana program, which, according to its website, is a “new state-funded program to help Indiana residents accelerate their careers through fast-paced training programs for high-wage, high-demand jobs. Only vetted training programs who demonstrate highly successful student outcomes may participate.”
Anyone 18 and older can apply for up to $10,000 toward high education through Accelerate Indiana. For move, visit accelerateindiana.org.
“Because of Eleven Fifty Academy’s pioneering programs, last year Indiana’s Legislature allocated over $75 million of funding available to all Hoosiers for tuition at a variety of institutions that can deliver training programs that graduate within three to six months and subsequently gain high-value employment within a few months,” Jones said. “This program is transformative and life-changing for participating individuals.”
Because of its success helping graduates find jobs, Eleven Fifty recently received the Talent Impact Mira Award. According to its website, “TechPoint, the nonprofit, industry-led growth accelerator for Indiana’s tech ecosystem, honored the successes and innovation of Indiana people, companies and products.”
Learn more about courses at elevenfifty.org.
