It started with a conversation at a Starbucks on 14th and Main in Vancouver. No funding, no staff; just an idea that Black boys deserved a real seat at the table in tech. Ten years later, that idea has reached more than 18,000 Black youth across Canada and the United States.
That's 18,000 kids who walked into a classroom, tried something new, and left knowing that a future in tech was actually meant for them too.
Black Boys Code offers free, hands-on technology programs for Black boys aged 8–17, covering everything from AI and robotics to web development and coding. And since 2021, Black Kids Code (Girls) has been doing the same for Black girls, because the future of tech needs all of us in it. Both programs are led by Black STEM professionals who show up as instructors and role models, in classrooms where Black youth are seen, encouraged, and challenged to grow.
Over 200 Black STEM professionals have volunteered across 18 Canadian chapters and six US chapters. The community that has built up around these programs—students, families, volunteers, and partners—is just as much a part of the story as the technology itself.
All programs are completely free. No experience needed, and lunch is provided to students. Just sign your child up and let them discover what they're capable of.
Registration is now open for Semester 3 of the virtual Technology After School Program, for select cities in Canada, and registration for April in-person workshops across Canada will be open soon.
Register your boys at blackboyscode.ca and your girls at blackkidscode.com.
And if you work in tech and have been looking for a way to give back to your community, your local chapter needs you. Visit blackboyscode.ca to find out how to get involved as a volunteer.
Here's to ten years, and everything still to come!
