Hispanic Heritage Foundation launches a series of week-long CSL (Code as a Second Language) Virtual Camps for underserved youths to continue to learn at home during COVID-19 crisis

Students also being introduced to and taught critical tech skills

POMONA, CA. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) will launch a series of week-long CSL (Code as a Second Language) Virtual Camps through the summer starting with a partnership with the Youth & Family Club of Pomona Valley from April 27- May 1. The CSL Virtual Camps were designed to continue to educate underserved students at home during COVID-19 crisis while introducing them to tech career paths. According to the Brookings Institute, students lose up to 30 percent of their school-year learning over two months of summer vacation with Latino and African Americans with an even higher rate. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, students will have been out of school nearly six months if schools open back up for fall semester.

“Driving CSL is the fundamental belief that all youth deserve access to a technology-based education and the opportunity to enter the workforce in a stronger position,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. “There is talent everywhere and our collective effort is to inspire and develop that innovative potential which will help America move forward.”

CSL, thanks to funding from Google.org, is designed to expose underrepresented students to computer science as way to not only prepare for the future but also to improve everything from communication, to creativity, to confidence and succeed at other subjects. Among African America and Latino students, those who take AP CS in high school are up to eight times more likely to take CS in college, according to Code.org. CSL was developed to create pathways from an introduction to careers and the development in between.

The CSL Virtual Camps will be daily for a week between one and two hours either as part of a virtual school day or as part of a virtual afterschool program. Additional camps and community partners across the country will be announced from now throughout the summer

The students will be referred to the LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) Network for ongoing on-line instruction and will connect to other students, mentors, networking, resources, STEM-related events and later potential internships and full-time positions with Fortune 500 companies. Coding will also enable students to be creators, innovators and entrepreneurs rather than just consumers of technology.  CSL was established in Los Angeles in 2013 and by next year is set to reach 100,000 youths across 75 regions, including Puerto Rico and Mexico.

For more information CSL contact Program Manager Daisy Madrigal at Daisy@hispanicheritage.org.

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About the Hispanic Heritage Foundation

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is a national nonprofit focused on education, workforce, leadership and with a concentration on technology through the Code as a Second Language (CSL) program which includes academies, bootcamps, workshops, summits, mentorships, internships and sourcing talent for Fortune 500 Companies. HHF is headquartered in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, with satellite workspaces in New York, Silicon Valley, San Antonio, and Miami Visit https://hispanicheritage.org