Streetcode Academy

A recent study led by Professor of Economics Raj Chetty at Stanford University showed that women and people of color are much less likely to grow up to be innovators than their white, affluent, male counterparts. This research indicates that the disparity is not due to lack of talent or aptitude, but rather a lack of exposure to relevant role models and networks.

Culturally relevant programming—delivered by members of the community who are reflective of the population—is powerful for under-resourced communities. Simply put, representation matters, and engaging youth and their families with familiar and relevant experiences increases the buy-in that leads to successful outcomes. For example, many youths view the music and entertainment industry as their best chance to break free from the cycles of poverty that plague their communities. By leveraging this and other motivating factors, digitally-focused youth programs can build bridges between tech and entertainment culture, inspiring them to unlock the skill sets and academic achievements they need to access successful lives.

In response to the need for deeper investment in the community of color, StreetCode Academy acts as a bridge between Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and the technology they need to thrive in a digital age. Our mission is to empower communities of color to achieve their full potential by introducing the skills, mindsets, and networks needed to embrace tech and innovation. We seek to realize a world where the digital divide is closed, catalyzing a diverse tech sector that is better able to solve global problems.

Overall, we seek to raise expectations, build understanding, and provide simple strategies and consistent support to put BIPOC learners onto sustainable paths to success in this digital age. We do this through programs that support our participants’ creative and technical processes, build digital literacy, and shift mindset while reinforcing the learning of core skills.

StreetCode Academy develops, tests, and continually refines a scaffolding of programming that creates a pipeline both to and from our communities and the tech sector. Through a blend of in-depth workshops for both youth and adults, curriculum and software development, and distribution of critical technology equipment, we Shape Mindsets, Build Skills, and Increase Access in the following ways:

• Mindset Shifts are driven by participation in culturally relevant learning experiences that empower communities to see themselves in the technology that they consume and prepare them to play a role in the tech world.

• Building Skills begins with distributing critical tech resources to underserved communities who lack digital tools, then providing digital literacy education to help them leverage those tools to gain experiences and skills needed to improve their outcomes.

•Creating Access to peers, mentors, and lead technology teachers paves the way for individuals to comfortably interact with and take advantage of introduction to networks within the tech world.

StreetCode Academy has been serving free tech classes in East Palo Alto since 2016. The organization acts as a bridge between communities of color and the technology they need to thrive in a digital age. Our mission is to empower communities of color to achieve their full potential by introducing the skills, mindsets, and networks needed to embrace tech and innovation. We seek to realize a world where the digital divide is closed, catalyzing a diverse tech sector that is better able to solve global problems.We have reached over 7,500 community members through our student showcases, partnering with other nonprofits, and quarterly programming. We are on track to reach 100% of EPA, and are excited to continue the work through online learning. To facilitate this growth, we have expanded our team, bringing on four additional full time team members across various departments. This has expanded our capacity to be able to serve more students than we have in previous years.

By the end of this year (2021), we achieved the following:
59 classes taught
3,066 students served
Provided Tech Support Access to 2,500 families in Redwood City School District
Distributed 1000+ Computers

Looking ahead to 2022, we plan to continue bringing on additional team members across various teams that will allow us to grow our capacity even more. This will enable us to grow our program offerings and further expand our reach. To that end, we also hope to pursue a hybrid programming model. By offering both online courses and in-person courses, we want to be able to reach students wherever they are, whether or not they are in our local area.