What do you hear in our annual report?


The Powerful Voices from our 2019-20 annual report leap off the page! 2020 has proved the collective power and resiliency of the Code Nation Community. We are living through historical change!
We came together to work against deepening digital divides. We pivoted to reach students in 72 programs across 3 regions 100% virtually. Our community of tech professionals volunteered over 45,000 hours to provide in-person and remote learning in support of Code Nation’s mission in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and New York City. We brought Hackathons to students across these cities and we are mobilizing for equal access to opportunity, for social and racial justice.


The resiliency of our community is best described through the voices of our students, alumni, volunteers, and partners. After all, It is because of them that the 2019-20 school year was so successful!
In March 2020, Code Nation pivoted to remote learning with the rest of the country. Although the methods of program delivery and student engagement are different, we continue to serve our students by providing access to computer science courses, workplace experiences, and role models that launch careers in tech!


We intentionally created space throughout this year’s Annual Report to amplify the Powerful Voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in our communities. While we’ve traditionally focused on highlighting the inequities within the education system, this year we feel the need to explicitly address racial inequities within our society and draw the necessary connections that contribute to the lack of diversity in tech.


During the 2019-2020 academic year, Code Nation delivered programs for the very first time in Chicago! Code Nation supported nearly 150 Chicago students in 22 different CPS High Schools, in taking their first steps on the path to careers in technology!


Code Nation’s Hackathon themes this year were “Code the Movement” and “Code Nation Combats COVID”! Projects ranged from climate change, immigration, equal rights, to other social justice causes. The “Code Nation Combats COVID” Hackathon was 100% virtual, the very first in Code Nation history!


We are proud of our growing alumni network and loudly celebrate their amazing accomplishments! We’ve heard the powerful voices of our 1,445 alumni and will be dedicating more resources to serve them.


Beyond the quotes of the annual report, you can enjoy the numbers too! They are rigorously collected, monitored, and maintained. Each year, we impact the lives of more and more young people – we served 1630 students in New York City, the Bay Area, and Chicago. Our reach has grown by 145% in the past 5 years!


Our 2019-20 annual report, Powerful Voices, reflects the monumental and historic nature of this past school year and celebrates the voices and collective power of our communities!
At Code Nation, we believe in the power of youth voices to code the future, create positive impacts, and inspire movements!
Together, we can Command + Shift the Future. Thank you for your support.