East Side children in San Antonio were all smiles as they received a generous donation of 20 laptops at Ella Austin Community Center, courtesy of the local nonprofit Code Equity. The much-needed tech will support their ongoing coding education. The kids, participants in the WestCare Texas’ Summer Extravaganza program, are no strangers to coding, having spent two months honing their skills through the nonprofit's free classes.
The brains behind Code Equity are the Kim siblings – Zurielle, Keane, and Gabriel, who are in the 8th, 6th, and 4th grades, respectively. Since launching the nonprofit last fall, they've turned their passion for coding into a force for social good. Zurielle’s initiative kicked off after she bought a coding book from a fair and expanded her knowledge online, leading her brothers down the same path. “We always wanted to help other people. We see homeless people on the streets and we want to help them out, and we thought what better way than to share our passion with those people who need it,” Zurielle told San Antonio Report.
In a city where 18% of households lack internet access, many on the East Side, these efforts are a beacon of hope. Rhia Pape, executive director of SA Digital Connects, acknowledges the ongoing battle with the digital divide, emphasizing the importance of not only internet access but also digital literacy. “What’s really cool about classes you’re doing with Code Equity is that Microsoft Word and Excel, those are all softwares that were developed by coding," Pape noted during the laptop handoff.
SA Digital Connects has found a symbiotic partner in Code Equity, working together to get the laptops into the hands of eager learners. This is part of a broader initiative that has seen hundreds of computers distributed through collaborations with organizations like Human IT. The laptop distribution was funded by Methodist Healthcare Ministries, enabling the purchase of 20 refurbished Google Chromebooks that will remain at the community center. Beverly Watts-Davis, senior vice president of WestCare Texas, highlighted the transformative potential of the new tech, suggesting they might be a "game changer."
The story doesn't end with yesterday's giveaway. Code Equity is prepping for their upcoming Code Fest at Haven For Hope on Aug. 6. And plans are underway to distribute 30 more laptops later this year, keeping the momentum of digital inclusivity moving forward for students at Ella Austin Community Center.
