The Specialists Guild

Just a quick reminder

The TSG annual party is this Sunday, October 28
11-1
ARC SF, 1500 Howard Street, San Francisco
Hope to see you there and then.

Luby

Just as Team 9 began to settle into the instructional routine, they were introduced last Thursday to a weekly feature of the curriculum.

TSG invites visitors from technology and other professions to join us for lunch, and tell us about their work, and their careers.

Our first speaker was Owen Morris who as a game developer, video producer, and documentarian had much to tell us about the technology and business intricacies of today's creative environment. Among many many other projects, we would like to put in a plug for *Jumping with Jackson* an amazing podcast that melds skydiving, stand up comedy, poetry and so much more.

I'm very pleased to introduce Marco and Paul who have volunteered to take turns keeping Facebook up to date with what's happening at The Specialists Guild.

Running out of time to be considered for TSG Software Testing training class starting Tuesday, September 5 in San Francisco.

Interviews are being scheduled for next Monday August 7 and Tuesday.August 8.

If you are interested in being considered for software testing training you need to apply now on line at specialiststguild.org

The Specialists Guild is accepting applications for Software Testing training



The Specialists Guild is accepting applications for its Software Testing training program running Tuesday September 5 to Thursday December 14, 2017.

Instruction is held at 1500 Howard Street in San Francisco. Participation is in person Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Acceptance into the program is competitive, with a maximum of 6 participants. The process requires an in-person interview at TSG offices in San Francisco. Interviews will be scheduled mid-August.

To be considered for participation submit an application through www.specialistsguild.org via the Apply for Training link. Individuals who have applied anytime in 2017 will be contacted directly.

Many participants are consumers of the California Department of Rehabilitation, and have their tuition paid with an authorization from their DOR counselor. If you are a current or former client of CA DOR, please contact your counselor when you submit your TSG application to discuss the process for authorization. Do not wait until you have been invited to participate in the training. If you are not a DOR client you will be charged the $2,100 tuition in monthly segments.

Please note: This will be the last TSG training which focuses exclusively on Software Testing. Starting the spring of 2018, TSG will introduce a new survey curriculum comprised of three aspects of a related work area. The first course is expected to be Introduction to Technology with modules of four weeks each on networking, programming and testing.

The Specialists Guild | focus on ability! We are a nonprofit social enterprise focused on working with people and companies so individuals with Autism can earn a living doing meaningful and fulfilling work.

Last week TSG interns were visited by Leticia Figueroa, Engagement Specialist for Foundation Center West. We are incredibly lucky to have a Foundation Center location in San Francisco with free access to its comprehensive prospect research tool listing grants for organizations and individuals, a library and a continuously augmented offering of live and webinar trainings, free or reasonably priced.

Joe and James of the WikiMedia Foundation came by TSG to talk to us about the history and vision of WikiMedia, it's growth, and it's goals. We also discussed the do's and don't's of what goes into constructing a Wikipedia page, restrictions, guidelines, and how to work around them. Some other things we discussed were the major role of volunteers' editing and moderating pages.

On February 8th, TSG interns walked the six long blocks, with a stop for pizza, for a site visit with the People with Disabilities Foundation. Staff generously gave their time to tell us about PWDF major programs of Advocacy, and Public Awareness/Education.

Being techies, the Interns were particularly interested in PWDF current project editing the many conferences and workshops it has held over its for access via the internet. Below is Todd Leachman showing our guys all the bells and whistles of Adobe Pro.

TSG staff and Team 99 with new interns hard at work after their holiday break

Have you wondered why you get so many requests from charities in the month of December?

There’s 2 reasons:

1) in many religious traditions November &/or December are months of thankfulness and giving to the less fortunate;

2) American tax law allows individuals to deduct charitable donations, and to get a deduction for 2016, the donation needs to be dated on or before December 31st.



American charities are estimated to receive from 50%-20% of their budgets in the month of December, The lower number is those which have sent out several appeals during the year. Some charities, such as The Specialists Guild, only have the time and the resources to send out one appeal a year. And December is the best month to do so. Of the 30% of our budget that comes from private donations, fully 25% comes in the month of December.

Haven’t given all you had planned to give yet, and able to give a little more, please consider a donation to The Specialists Guild. Find out how on specialistsguild.org.

A PayPal donation is fixed by the date the donation is processed. But mail in a check and you can get a 2016 tax deduction by dating the check in 2016. If you have already given all you had planned for 2016, feel free to send in a check with a 2017 date to get a 2017 tax deduction.

A couple of weeks ago our speaker was Kami Griffins, Executive Director of San Francisco’s Community Technology Network, a Bay Area non-profit
focused on uniting organizations and volunteers to transform lives through digital literacy, closing the digital gap through public education and outreach.
Here’s Kami with Team 7 trainees, TSG staff and interns.

In 2013/14 TSG received a grant from COMCAST to support pro bono activities. While that grant only lasted for one year, it established volunteering as a component of the TSG training and internship experience.

TSG works to instill in all participants that giving of your expertise and your time to help others in your community is a professional responsibility.

This year pro bono work has included projects for the JobsBucket Job Fair, the DiversAbility Breakfast and the SF Technology Council.

The Interns always enjoy volunteering. Last week TSG Interns were off for their annual excursion to CASE, the California Association for Special Education. Only 5 blocks from TSG offices, TSG helps every year with CASE’s annual appeal. This year Interns folded, attached, stuffed and stamped more than 800 envelopes.