Code Nation: The Future Of Tomorrow

Part my role at Coyote involves me work with community orginzations. In early 2019 Coyote’s Software Development group became involved with Code Nation, an 501c3 organization based out of New York, which is focused on equipping students, in under-resourced high schools, with the skills, experiences, and connections that give them access to careers in technology.

Code Nation’s approach is using a volunteer teaching corp of hundreds of professional web and software developers, that provide tuition-free coding courses and work-based learning programs to students of these under-resourced schools. Code Nation focuses on Latinx and Black students, 45% of these students being female.

The program is divided into 3 phases. Phase 1 exposes 10 grade students to coding and how to create code, in phase 2 11th and 12 grade students gain assistance in career preparation, and in phase 3 the students benefit from continued mentorship post-graduation.

The program runs the entire school year kicking off in September and wrapping up in June. In Chicago 6 high schools were selected to be part of this program: Dyett HS, Johnson College Prep, Michele Clark HS, Rauner College Prep, and UIC College Prep. Combined these 6 high schools are preparing more than 100 students for careers in technology.

The volunteer instructors/mentors are provided with ready-to deliver curriculum and coaching from the Code Nation staff. Four volunteer instructors/mentors are placed at each school site to team-teach the class.

Students meet with the volunteer instructors/mentors twice a week, either in the morning or afternoon, for a class session lasting 60-90 minutes. Outside of the classroom the student participates in hack-a-thons, coding challenges and takes field trips to tech companies in the surrounding area.

More information about Code Nation Chicago can be found on their website.