Shakira and Amazon join forces to promote computer science education among young Hispanics

Code.org Announced New Collaboration with Amazon and Grammy Award-Winning Artist and Global Humanitarian Shakirathrough his foundation, Fundación Pies Descalzos, to expand access to computer science education to Spanish-speaking students around the world. This collaboration takes advantage of the singer’s popularity to raise awareness about the importance of computer science education among Spanish and Latin American students in order to prepare them for success in an increasingly technological world and work reality.

“Computer science is more than just programming; “It is about teaching students the problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking skills that are essential in today’s digital world,” explains Hadi Partovi, CEO and co-founder of Code.org. “Collaborate with Shakira “To expand access to computer science education for Hispanic students around the world is a critical part of our mission to prepare all students to thrive in the workplace of the future.”

Shakira She has been a long-time defender of the advancement of equity in education through her Pies Descalzos Foundation, a non-profit organization that contributes to improving the quality of Education in Colombia through educational projects throughout the educational trajectory. teacher training and sustainable school infrastructure. To date, the Foundation has supported more than 224,000 boys, girls and young people of different origins, ethnicities and cultural traditions in Colombia, providing them with a safe space for learning and serving as a social engine of transformation for communities.

Shakira explains: “I am happy to collaborate once again with Code.org to highlight the importance of learning computer science, as well as its different applications, including the world of music creation, and to contribute to Hispanic students accessing to a field that has gained, and will continue to gain, great relevance in today’s industries.”

To celebrate the collaboration, Shakira has donated the use of his top hits in Spanish, including “Amarillo” and “Chantaje”, on Music Lab, the popular Code.org platform and Amazon where students can learn to program through interactive musical composition, based on hits from artists around the world.

Thanks to a donation from the program Amazon Future Engineer, Code.org and the Pies Descalzos Foundation, the collaboration has begun with the first of a series of training workshops for computer science teachers in September 2024, in Barranquilla, Colombia. The project will impact nearly 2,400 public school students in the cities through the training of several of the teachers that the Foundation accompanies.

The workshops are designed to equip teachers with the tools and pedagogy necessary to introduce elementary students to the fundamental concepts of computer science. Teacher trainings organized by Code.org and the Pies Descalzos Foundation will continue through 2025, beginning in February with the training of 100 additional teachers. The project seeks to enrich and improve students’ skills in language, mathematics and computer programming, improving pedagogical practices and student learning practices in STEM sciences, thus helping to close the gap in education for communities in need.

“In Amazon “We believe that access to a high-quality computer science education is crucial to preparing all students, especially those from minority communities, to thrive in the digital economy,” explains Víctor Reinoso, global director of education philanthropic initiatives. from Amazon. “We are proud to collaborate with Code.org, Shakira and the Pies Descalzos Foundation to expand opportunities for Hispanic students to learn programming and computational thinking skills. Through this collaboration, we can help unlock the potential of the next generation of innovators and empower young Latinos with the technological skills necessary for future success.”

In the last year, Code.org has expanded access to computer science education to 1 million students and 50,000 teachers in Spain and Latin America. In Colombia alone, it has supported more than 746,000 students and 22,000 teachers since 2014 to advance the teaching and learning of computer science. Every year, students from Spain and Latin America participate in the Hour of Code, an initiative that introduces programming to millions of primary school students around the world. This year’s Hour of Code campaign, “Making the Invisible Visible,” celebrates the many ways programming powers everyday life.