Google has launched an innovative new coding lab in Oakland, dubbed 'Code Next', that is designed to teach black and Latino teenagers to learn how to code.
Strategically situated in one of the USA's most culturally diverse cities, this coding lab is completely free of charge, with attendees giving coding lessons as well as hands-on assignments to keep them occupied and engaged. The teenagers who get in are recommended by their schools, and are given the education and support they need to set them up to compete for coveted coding jobs in the future.
The fact of the matter is that the tech world still suffers from a very visible lack of diversity, which is something that the Code Next coding lab has the power to change by encouraging people from different ethnic groups to get interested in coding from a young age.
Minority-Focused Coding Labs
Google's 'Code Next' Lab Encourages Black and Latino Teens to Code
Trend Themes
1. Minority-focused Coding Education - Similar coding labs that provide coding education to underrepresented minorities can be established in other cities and countries to promote diversity and inclusivity in the tech industry.
2. Free Coding Education for Youths - More corporations can create similar programs to provide free coding education to youths from underprivileged backgrounds as a corporate social responsibility effort.
3. Recommendation-based Applicants - Other training programs and schools can adopt the 'recommended by school' application model to provide equal opportunities in education for youths from underrepresented communities.
Industry Implications
1. Technology - The technology industry can benefit from creating more programs that provide opportunities for underrepresented youth to learn how to code and enhance diversity in the field.
2. Education - The education industry can learn from these coding labs and expand summer and after-school programs for minority and underprivileged students in computer science and coding.
3. Corporate Social Responsibility - Companies can create programs similar to Code Next as a way to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility and investing in the future of underrepresented communities.