Oakland Codes works on Culture, Education & Training to solve the deepest challenges the tech industry poses to communities and local economies.
From Consumers to Producers: We position youth to transition from tech consumers to tech producers. Young people of color drive the creation of content on tech platforms. We empower them to become the producers of technology so they can be equitably compensated for their contributions.
Living Wages & Meaningful Employment: We train youth in the 21st-century skills needed to secure employment that will allow them and their families to stay housed in the Bay Area doing jobs that align with their life goals.
Diversity & Inclusion: We provide the holistic support needed to prepare young people of color for employment in the tech sector.
Elevating culture: We leverage technology to preserve and raise up culture for all communities.
Modeling equitable economies: We engage a wide array of community partners, creating prosperity for underrepresented communities and supporting the growth of small and medium sized local businesses.
CREATING A RESILIENT COMMUNITY ECOSYSTEM
Oakland Codes is assembling places, digital infrastructure, events, human services support, curricula, and alternative ways to financially support our youths’ career and educational launches.
Holistic Approach to Youth Engagement: We meet youth where they are at, and offer them the direct support to heal from their trauma and grow into their fullest potential.
Ecosystem of Services for young people: We provide young people with all of the services needed for them to succeed, including: extracurricular STEM education, mentorship, networking, access to vital technology tools, such as laptops, next-step career opportunities, financial literacy, mental health support and leadership development training.
Place-Making: We build community-led institutions in Oakland and beyond where underserved communities can access cutting edge technology and training. We engage youth leaders and long term residents in establishing community ownership of land and buildings.
Doing Business Together: We are creating an agency to collectively market youth-led services to the broader community, and to encourage business collaboration between our youth innovators.
COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU…
What’s happening in Oakland will happen in every community being transformed by tech over the next 50 years: it is essential that other communities have an equitable road map to follow when their economy transitions, and we are creating the blueprint for the future.
Promoting a model for a New, Equitable Economy: We connect youth of color to living wage, meaningful employment. We are enhancing diversity & inclusion in the tech sector and demonstrating how technology can be used to create prosperity for all.
Community Dialogue: We are creating community conversations around the intersection of culture and technology as a catalyst for innovation & equity, utilizing platforms like conferences, convening, online platforms and through media
Sharing Our Model: We can support communities across the country to create their own models for an equitable tech ecosystem based on our lessons learned.