Google is bringing a free immersive computer science education program to Inglewood’s Hollywood Park, expanding the 300-acre mega-development’s offerings beyond retail and entertainment. Google will design, build and operate Code Next Lab, a facility aimed at bolstering the next generation of Black, Latino and Indigenous tech leaders in a 50-student cohort. Set to open in 2024, Code Next Lab will serve students in Inglewood and Greater Los Angeles by connecting them with computer science coaches, state-of-the-art technical equipment and education curriculum from Javascript programming to UX design.
According to Google, 92% of 12th graders who graduate from the Code Next program attend higher education institutions. Approximately 88% have gone on to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors.
Code Next Lab will serve students in Inglewood and Greater Los Angeles by connecting them with computer science coaches and state-of-the-art technical equipment. DANISH KURANI This will be Google’s first Southern California location for the program, joining its other locations in New York, Oakland and Detroit. Code Next is part of Grow with Google, an initiative focused on making opportunities created by technology available to everyone. Google and Hollywood Park have already established a multiyear partnership at the project’s venues SoFi Stadium and YouTube Theater, as well as invested in new initiatives that increase access to technology and digital innovation in the surrounding Inglewood community. Travis Sampson, chief technology officer at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, said the partnership with Google will help strengthen the park’s community impact while educating Inglewood students in cutting-edge technologies.
This will be Google’s first Southern California location for the program. Steven Bradford said the program and partnership will “uncover and develop a rich and diverse workforce of the future” as California continues to grow its global tech leadership. “Google’s Code Next Inglewood is an exciting and tangible investment that will help ensure California’s tech industry looks more like California,” Bradford said in a statement. “These new opportunities for free computer science education will make a difference by focusing on reaching young people in our underserved communities.” Two retail tenants have opened at Hollywood Park this year, with Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas’ movie theater debuting in July, followed by community art gallery Residency Art Gallery in September. Iconix Fitness is set to open next at the development’s retail district.
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