Coding Workshops in Atlanta Aim to Boost Diversity in STEM

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Nonprofit organization INROADS in partnership with STEMBoard, a company that creates engineering solutions, last week held a coding workshop for high school students in Atlanta, GA who are typically underrepresented in STEM fields.

Since 1970, INROADS has connected nearly 1,300 underserved youth to more than 200 business and industry clients, such as STEMBoard. The two formed a strategic alliance late last year and the workshop is a major milestone for INROADS College Links-Atlanta, their program that provides mentorship opportunities to African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, females and other minority groups pursuing STEM and STEAM majors.

The Hack<IT> UpStart workshop was open to INROADS College Links-Atlanta students. It is “part of a series of workshops aimed at bridging the digital skills gap in underserved communities,” a news release said. Participating students learned coding and tech skills — developing microcontrollers and other small devices — with help from Emory University Continuing Education, STEMBoard and INROADS.

The event was sponsored by Coca-Cola and hosted in partnership with Chick-fil-A, Home Depot, the Executive Leadership Council, Georgia-Pacific Corporation and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum, according to the news release.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

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