Van Jones is determined to leave a mark in this world for black children by using his time, resources, network and talents to ensure they are well prepared for the 21st century.
In 2014, Jones brought together a team of compassionate, connected and concerned people to form #YesWeCode an organization dedicated to finding ways to elevate today’s urban youth and help them achieve a brighter future.
The goal of this initiative is to target disadvantaged youth and provide them with the resources and tools they need to become computer programming professionals. It is a high value-added skill in the 21st century that will mark a turning point in their professional careers.
Speaking of the YesWeCode organization, Jones said:
“I don’t care if they come from the suburbs, Detroit, Chicago or Harlem. I’m going to teach 100,000 black children computer coding. ”
From the YesWeCode website:
#YesWeCode acts as a connector and catalyst by providing the basic infrastructure that amplifies the work of our network partners. Since July 2014, the strengths of # YesWeCode have been to:
Communicate: In partnership with Facebook, #YesWeCode has launched an interactive website with a powerful search tool that allows young people to find local coding education resources. This tool also allows our coding partners to recruit volunteers and mentors.
Convene: #YesWeCode convened 100+ practitioners and stakeholders in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and New Orleans. #YesWeCode is a partner of Qeyno Labs to host a Hackathon Weekend for Startups in Oakland in February, focused on young African-American men and boys.
Catalyze: In July, #YesWeCode launched at the 20th anniversary of the Essence Festival, a hackathon focused on young people and an overall performance by the prince, in front of a festival audience of 500,000 people.
The Pipeline:
The three-step training work is designed to guide young people through introductory coding programs, vocational training programs, and ultimately employment. Our national pilot program will be launched in Oakland.
Translated by AfrikaTech
http://urbanintellectuals.com/2015/08/05/van-jones-i-will-teach-100000-black-children-computer-coding-via-his-program-yeswecode/
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