Google & HHF Host Coding Jam @ SXSW!

WASHINGTON, DC – Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) and Google hosted in association with The Raben Group a LOFT Coding Jam Session on March 7 from 1-3 p.m. (CST) at the Burnet Middle School, 8401 Hathaway Drive in Austin, TX as part of the SXSW Festival. The free, bilingual Jam Session instructed minority youth on how to code using HTML and CSS with hip-hop, jazz and salsa music playing in the background with hundreds of students and their parents in attendance. A Google Chromebook laptop was provided to the student with the best idea to make a positive impact on their community.

The Raben Group also hosted a free after party following their event, “What Would Cesar Chavez Tweet? Latinos and New Media” at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (600 Rover Street, Austin, TX) on March 6 from 5-7 p.m. The party included local cuisine, drinks, and music and celebrated the aforementioned panel discussion on Latino-led campaigns and the results of the Latinos and New Media Study. The panel was an official SXSW event and was be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Sunflower Room of the Holiday Inn Town Lake.

LOFT is HHF’s award-winning leadership and workforce development program and the Coding Jam Sessions – which are being executed all over the country – are part of LOFT’s Innovation & Technology Track. Other LOFT Tracks include Science & Healthcare, Engineering, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Education, Public Service, and Media & Entertainment. In addition to Washington, DC, the Coding Jam Sessions will take place in at least 10 markets in 2014 including Silicon Valley as part of Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Conference (May 2), Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Coachella, and Wheaton, MD.

“Driving this effort is the belief that every youth throughout our communities deserves to have access to high-level technology programs and trainings,” said Emanuel Pleitez, Chairman of HHF. “We are thrilled to partner with Google and the Raben Group to inspire and equip minority youth to be world-class innovators.”

“There is no greater way to make an impact than through technology and to encourage innovation,” added Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. “We believe these are young leaders of today, not tomorrow. America can’t wait.”

About The Raben Group
Founded in 2001 by former Assistant Attorney General Robert Raben, The Raben Group offers clients a tailored suite of services including policy development, direct lobbying, coalition building, grass-tops campaigns, political counsel, and strategic communications with offices in Washington and Los Angeles. The Raben Group believes the best approach to complex policy challenges is to understand them from the ground up – carefully considering the client, the substantive issues, and the political environment and the audiences clients much reach to attain their objectives.

As a firm, The Raben Group organizes charity events and endeavors to donate a certain amount of time to pro bono projects. Visit www.RabenGroup.com for more information.

About HHF and LOFT
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit originally established by the White House in 1987, inspires, prepares, positions and connects minority leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet America’s priorities. HHF also promotes cultural pride, accomplishment, and the great promise of the community through public awareness campaigns seen by millions. HHF is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in Los Angeles, New York and the LOFT Institute is housed at Michigan State University (Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org.)

LOFT is HHF’s award-winning, leadership and workforce-development program focused on “Tracks” including Innovation & Technology, Science & Healthcare, Engineering, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Education, Public Service and Media & Entertainment. Tens of thousands of students and young professionals are connected to each other, guides and resources; over 30 trainings, workshops, and informal Charlas are hosted across the country; creative initiatives are executed; and hundreds of minorities are placed into internships, mentorships, fellowships and full-time positions with Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. Visit www.loftinnovation.org, and join http://loftnetwork.org to get on the fast track to leadership.

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