Community Coding, Keeping Education Accessible!
Eddie Massey III
Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U)
What is your organization?
I run an organization called Kids Code Too where we teach youth that live primarily in rural and underserved areas how to code. The goal is not necessarily to have everyone become a software engineer, but really to fill in a gap in the education system. This current education system in the United States is failing rural America, especially rural black America.
Our primary place of operation is a place called the ‘Corridor of Shame ‘ in South Carolina. It is a series of schools and school districts that have actually sued the state for extreme underfunding. We work there to fill in the education gap and we use coding as a fun way to get youth to use logic, computational thinking, and reasoning, along with other important skills - And along the way, we do get some aspiring software engineers coming out of the program.
What inspired you to start?
I was attending college in Ohio when my father passed away. So I had to take some time off of school and help out my family. I went back to South Carolina, where I was from and I noticed a lot of the kids in my hometown wanted to become engineers.
When I was growing up, I had to work much harder in school than most of my classmates because I was from a very rural and segregated town. I was very underprepared to study computer science and math, and I had to drop physics in the first semester because I did not understand any of the lesson material.
I studied really hard and eventually I began to understand the different science and mathematical concepts.
When I went back to my hometown and saw kids whose shoes I had been in not that long ago, dreaming of becoming engineers. I wanted to help bridge the gap for them. I did not want them to have the same difficulties I had, studying 36 hours a week. So I asked my former teacher if I could work with some of the students after school and the project kind of just started from there.
What challenges have you faced along the way so far?
There are always challenges. When I started teaching the youth in my hometown while I was still in college, I had no clue what I was doing. I was not planning on starting a nonprofit - I just wanted to help my community - But the demand for our education services quickly grew - and I realized I needed to formalize my project to make sure we could continue to help the kids.
Some of the initial challenges I had was learning how to develop a team, how to find the appropriate level of funding to actually meet the demand and how to effectively create a business model. I did not know about any of these things at the time, I was just a college student working on this project and trying to figure it out along the way.
What resources helped you along the way?
I started taking a lot of courses online, to gain some new skills. I learned how to leverage my network, how to fundraise, and how to build a board of directors - I then applied.
For programs like CGI U in 2013 and I was a finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship in 2018.
Getting to meet different people and share my story has helped me. Through those networks and relationships, you eventually start to meet grant writers or funders who are willing to help you. You then start learning how to have contracts and so on.
What advice do you have?
I would say whatever it is you want to do, just do it. I know that sounds very basic, but do not let a lecture or personal limitations block you. Whether those limitations are internal or external, ignore them and just do it. I think we often overthink things and it can cause problems.
Your project does not have to be perfect from the very beginning. Along the way, you will learn how to navigate the spaces, find the right resources and opportunities. As you really start to get into it, do not quit. You have to keep going and keep trying because it is not always going to be easy. If you keep going after what you feel that you are called to do, you are eventually going to find the resources you need. Just remember you need to start from point A to reach point Z.
How do you feel that CGI has influenced your career?
I learned about CGI U in 2013 from somebody who had previously participated and they encouraged me to apply. CGI U is where I learned the term “social entrepreneurship”. I did not consider myself an entrepreneur before attending the CGI U meeting but it was there I was able to learn a language and a context for what I was doing.
I also had the ability to meet thousands of students from across the world. And all of these students, concentrated in this place, were doing similar projects, and I was amazed by them.
Hearing from their experiences and learning from them was amazing. I learned a lot from the conference and the different workshops onsite, but the community and the network were really profound and inspiring.
Funnily enough, when I made it to the final round of Echoing Green, there was a CGI U alum in the final round. And one time when I went to Aspen, there was a fellow CGI U attendee there as well. It made me realize that CGI U participants are everywhere and being a part of this global community was a big help.
Some of my first donors were at the CGI U meeting I attended at Arizona State University. They gave me a thousand dollars and at that time, it felt like a million dollars! Knowing people out there who wanted to support my project was really encouraging and overall, CGI U has been a really great experience that has helped me tremendously.
Why would you recommend someone to go to be a part of CGI U?
Participating in the CGI U annual meeting and being part of the CGI U global community are significant experiences for anyone pursuing the type of work.
When you are in the social entrepreneurship space, the work is very difficult. Even though what we do is very valuable and very important, the work is very rigorous. There are a lot of challenges attached to being a social entrepreneur so it is important to be very resilient.
Having a community that can support you and that is working in the same type of space helps you overcome the challenges along the way. The community can also point you to resources. I believe I would not be the same without the different communities I am a part of. It is really important to find a community that can help you get to the next level and support you so that you do not fall off.
You can find Kids Code Too Here!
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