Meta is awarding 100,000 Elevate Scholarships towards a digital skills professional certification to benefit Black learners. With a Meta Digital Marketing Associate, Software Engineering, or Community Manager Certification, students will get essential skills for growing a business online or managing a community safely and gain access to Meta’s career network, where they can access jobs from over 100+ employers.

Today, I applied for it and was accepted! In this post, I’ll talk about the program details and why I chose to apply.

About Meta

When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented, virtual, and mixed reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

Learn more about Meta

About Meta Elevate

“Our mission, as a community and learning platform, is to increase economic success for Black and Latinx & Hispanic people by providing free marketing education, mentorship, and support.

We curate and host dynamic programming that provides expertise not only on Facebook but on overall digital marketing and branding strategies.”

Learn more about Meta Elevate

About the Scholarship

To help support Black students in the community, Meta is providing free training and resources that can help those interested in pursuing a career in digital marketing. As part of this effort, they’re awarding 100,000 scholarships in the form of a free voucher to offset the cost of the certification exam to Black students working towards a digital skills certification through their Meta Blueprint program. These scholarships will allow recipients to take the Meta Digital Marketing Associate Exam at no cost. Additionally, certified learners will have access to Meta’s exclusive job board, where they connect with employers at over 50 top-rated companies.

Eligibility

• Applicants must self-identify as Black learners;
• Applicants must reside in the US or its territories;
• Scholarship Program is open to Black learners in the US/DC/US Territories, 18+ years of age.
• At this time, only the Facebook Digital Marketing Associate Exam is eligible for the scholarship.
• The exam for the Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Associate is offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, German, Korean, simplified Chinese, French, and Japanese. Knowledge of the language is required.

About the Certification

The Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate credential is awarded to entry-level digital marketers who have foundational proficiency in the skills, tools, advertising policies, and best practices required to buy ads on the Facebook App, Instagram, and Messenger. Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associates understand the value that advertising on Meta technologies can deliver for businesses, and they can use foundational tools to build campaigns.

Course Overview

• Week 1: Start your learning journey with courses that cover beginner fundamentals for advertising on Facebook.
  • Start marketing with Meta technologies: Learn how to use Meta technologies to establish an online presence, engage with an audience and grow a business.
  • Build an Online Business Presence With a Facebook Page: Learn about the value of a Facebook Page and how to create one, as well as tools to manage an online presence.
  • Establish a Facebook Page following: Learn how to establish a Facebook Page following and best practices for creating posts to engage with audiences.
• Week 2: Get hands-on experience with the tools needed to effectively build a presence and following on social media.
  • Build an online business presence with Instagram: Learn how to establish an online presence for a business with the free tools and features of an Instagram business account.
  • Connect with customers on Instagram: Learn about creative features and communication tools you can use on Instagram to connect with customers.
  • Use WhatsApp for a business: Learn about the value of a WhatsApp Business account, how to set one up and how to connect with customers.
• Week 3: Learn the anatomy of Ads Manager and how to use it to create ads, set an ad budget, target a specific audience and so much more.
  • Get started with advertising on Facebook and Instagram: Learn how to set up and advertise with an Ads Manager account.
  • The importance of campaign objectives: Learn how to define business goals and get started in Ads Manager by selecting an ad objective.
  • Create audiences in Meta Ads Manager: Learn about the different types of audiences available for ads and how to create them for campaigns in Meta Ads Manager.
  • Choose ad placements, budget and schedule in Meta Ads Manager: Learn how to choose placements, set a budget, and a schedule for ad campaigns in Meta Ads Manager.
  • Customize ad creative in Meta Ads Manager: Learn how to create ads and review format, placement and creative options in Meta Ads Manager.
• Week 4: Gain an understanding of how to manage, track, and evaluate your ads for continued optimum ad performance.
  • Set up and use the Meta Pixel and Conversions API for ad campaigns: Learn how to use the Pixel and the Conversions API to share data from customer actions and optimize advertising strategies.
  • Manage your ad campaigns
  • Privacy and data protection across Meta technologies: Learn about privacy and data protection on Meta technologies, as well as how to create ads that adhere to Meta’s ad policies.
• Week 5: Take a Practice Test
  • Congratulations! You’ve completed the recommended courses for the Digital Marketing certification exam! Test your new knowledge by taking a practice test! Once completed, you can review your test and understand what questions you got wrong and why – many students have found this helpful when preparing for the exam!
• Week 6: Certification Prep
  • Digital Marketing Associate Certification Prep: Are you preparing to take the Digital Marketing Associate Certification exam, but could use a bit more help studying? This two-part video series will deepen your understanding of advertising fundamentals, creating and managing ads, and reporting metrics—all of which will help you tackle different sections of the exam.
• Week 7: Schedule and Take Your Exam
  • Becoming Blueprint certified helps you distinguish yourself as highly credible in your knowledge of Facebook products and services, while signaling advanced-level skills. Make sure you use your Elevate discount voucher when scheduling your Blueprint exam!

Earning your certification means becoming a more dynamic player in the digital landscape. to be a better entrepreneur in the digital marketing space, but also to help my clients. certifications tend to carry more weight with employers. By earning a digital marketing certification, you demonstrate that you have practical skills and knowledge of industry concepts. This can set you apart when applying for jobs or looking to advance your career down the line.

Why I’m Interested In This Scholarship

It’s no secret that the technology industry presents some of the fastest-growing and most sought-after employment opportunities.

By 2025, there is a projection of 149,000 jobs in tech and we want to make sure the Black community has access to the training needed to apply for these opportunities. There are currently 200+ employers ready to hire people with a Meta certification.

Computers and software have advanced significantly in recent years, leading to the development of artificial intelligence (AI), which refers to computer programs that can imitate human intelligence. This technology has already significantly impacted various fields and is expected to dominate the future. Therefore, it’s an excellent time to start mastering AI skills to remain competitive in the industry.

Ever since I started coding in high school, I’ve been eager to expand my knowledge of programming languages and explore their potential uses in my career. While a student at the Focus:HOPE Information Technology Center, my introduction to Python programming came as part of my preparation for the Python Certified Entry Level Professional (PCEP) certification exam. Since I wanted to learn more programming, I was thrilled that the program included Python programming in my education. I immediately began researching the language and its applications. After diving deep into the subject, I became even more enthusiastic about mastering Python. Following that introduction, I was hooked and wanted to continue learning more about this exciting area of coding.

Why I Chose to Apply for the Scholarship

Back in October, I received an email from Udacity with details about another Next Generation Tech Booster scholarship opening near the end of the month. This scholarship, powered by Bertelsmann, would provide 50,000 learners the opportunity to select 1 of 3 nanodegree tracks to complete in the lucrative fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or project management. 

With my desire to refresh and expand my coding skills, when this opportunity showed up in my inbox, I didn’t hesitate to look into each track to see which would be the best fit for me. After my research, I opted to apply for the scholarship to take the AI programming with Python Udacity NanoDegree program since it seemed to be a good starting point and is worth it for learning the foundations of AI. Through this program, I’d be revisiting Python programming I’d previously started to learn foundational AI programming tools (Python, NumPy, PyTorch) and the essential math skills (linear algebra and calculus) that will enable me to start building my own AI applications and neural networks in just a few months. 

Applying This Skill to My Career

As a seasoned creative professional with a branding, marketing, and website design background, I am excited about leveraging the skills gained from AI Programming with Python Nanodegree to enhance my career trajectory. My mission is to contribute to the success of professionals, solopreneurs, and small business owners by integrating design, strategy, and technology into a robust and manageable framework for personal and business brand development.

Having spent most of my career in a creative capacity, specializing in branding and website design, I am currently transitioning to a more managerial role, aspiring to become a director of marketing. This shift will empower me to spearhead and facilitate comprehensive marketing initiatives for organizations, shaping strategies from the top down.

The AI Programming with Python Nanodegree will play a pivotal role in this career pivot. The acquired proficiency in Python, NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, PyTorch, and Linear Algebra will provide me with a strong foundation for building and implementing cutting-edge technologies, enhancing my ability to create innovative and effective marketing strategies.

Future Hopes & Aspirations

The expertise that I could gain through the Next Generation Tech Booster Scholarship will open new doors for me and empower me to contribute meaningfully to the marketing, tech, and data sectors. If I’m chosen to receive this scholarship, I look forward to applying these skills to create compelling, data-driven marketing campaigns that drive success for the organizations I serve.