This may be of interest to some AOIR folksĀ
#YesWeCode (http://www.yeswecode.org) is an initiative that seeks to mobilize tech and social justice leaders to connect 100,000 low-opportunity young adults to the skills and experiences they need to access high-paying careers in technology. CNN commentator Van Jones founded the #YesWeCode initiative with the support of Prince, who passed away yesterday.
http://www.yeswecode.org/prince
Jones elaborated on Prince's involvement at the 20th Anniversary Essence Festival:
"After the Trayvon Martin verdict I was talking to Prince and he said, 'You know, every time people see a young black man wearing a hoodie, they think, he's a thug. But if they see a young white guy wearing a hoodie they think, oh that might be Mark Zuckerberg. That might be a dot-com billionaire.'"
"I said, 'Well, yeah, Prince that's true but that's because of racism.' And he said, 'No, it's because we have not produced enough black Mark Zuckerbergs. That's on us. That's on us. To deal with what we're not doing to get our young people prepared to be a part of this new information economy.'"
Since July 2014, YesWeCode has been focused on three activities:
Communicate: In partnership with Oakland, Calfornia-based organizations, #YesWeCode launched an interactive website with a powerful search tool that enables users to find local coding education resources. This tool also helps users find local events and learn more about coding opportunities.
Convene: #YesWeCode has convened 100+ coding practitioners and stakeholders in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans. #YesWeCode partnered with Qeyno Labs to host a Start-Up Weekend hackathon in February 2015, focused on uplifting young African-American men and boys.
Catalyze: In July, #YesWeCode launched at the 20th Anniversary ESSENCE Festival with a youth-focused hackathon and a headline performance by Prince, before a festival audience of 500,000 people.
Just seemed appropriate to post this.
--- <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Ms. Jayne Cravens MSc Portland, Oregon, USA
The web site - http://www.coyotecommunications.com The email - jc@coyotecommunications.com Me on Twitter, other social networks, & my blog: http://www.coyotecommunications.com/me/jayneonline.shtml
Author: The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook More about the book, and how to buy it (as a paperback or as an e-book): http://www.energizeinc.com/store/1-222-E-1 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>