At one Bronx school, a group of students have kick started a new initiative to help them and their peers learn new skills rarely available in low-income communities so they’re ready for the job market.
Code4NYC, which was founded by juniors at the Bronx High School of Science, is offering free coding classes to elementary and middle school students. Its founders—Gregory Wolf, Evan Yang, and Evonne Chen—are eager to use their own experiences and knowledge to help others, to open up opportunities for young people in a tech-driven society.
The idea emerged from the co-founders’ shared realization that, despite growing up in a city brimming with opportunities, there was a lack of resources in their own communities to learn coding.
“New York City is a melting pot of cultures, but that diversity also means there’s a huge disparity in access to resources,” said Yang.
Code4NYC officially launched last summer, offering virtual coding classes every Saturday through Google Classroom and Zoom. With the flexibility of its online format, the program quickly appealed to younger students. Initially, the program was focused on students in the Bronx, but it wasn’t long before students from other boroughs were participating, expanding the reach of the program across the city.
“We want to make sure that all students, especially those who don’t have access to these resources, can learn how to code. It’s about giving them the tools they need to succeed in a world that’s increasingly driven by technology,” said Yang.
The team decided to focus on Python, a versatile and beginner-friendly programming language, for their initial curriculum.
“Once everyone is comfortable with Python, we plan to start teaching other coding languages next summer,” said Wolf.
For young students like Sahir Shakeel, a participant from Columbia Secondary School, the program has been a game-changer.
“Coding seems like fun to me, so that’s why I joined,” said Shakeel. “It’s been great learning Python and seeing how it connects to real-world tech.”
While coding is at the core of Code4NYC’s mission, the founders emphasize that their program is about much more than just teaching technical skills. It’s also about providing students with the tools to pursue careers in the digital world.
“Software engineering is growing rapidly, and the sooner students learn, the better their chances in the future,” said Chen. “With the rise of AI, coding is becoming more important every day. It’s essential to expose kids to it early, even if they don’t fully understand it right away.”
Coding has become a fundamental skill to help unlock doors to careers in data science and artificial intelligence.
Elise Lie, a middle schooler from Queens, joined Code4NYC after a friend recommended the program. Though she was initially unfamiliar with coding, she quickly found herself drawn to its possibilities.
“It’s helping me understand computers in a way I never have before,” said Lei.
Since its launch, Code4NYC has reached over 50 students from schools across the city, driven in part by the community outreach by the three co-founders who have reached out to schools, local community organizations, and even group chats from their old middle schools to ensure that their free coding classes are accessible to the students who need them most.
“I didn’t really have the opportunity to learn about these complex coding languages,” said Chen. “My family is kind of on the lower-income side, so when it comes to programs, it’s always like, ‘Oh, how much money does the program cost?’”
Although the program is still relatively new, Yang, Chen and Wolf have big plans for growing it in the coming future. In addition to expanding the program to more students, they are looking to create a managerial structure within the organization to ensure progress.
“Our goal is to keep this going, even after we graduate,” said Chen. “We want it to live on and continue to grow.”
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