Code.org today announced a new collaboration with Amazon and Grammy Award-winning artist and global humanitarian Shakira, through her foundation, Fundación Pies Descalzos, to expand access to computer science education to Spanish-speaking students around the world. This collaboration leverages Shakira's popularity to raise awareness of the importance of computer science education among Spanish and Latin American students to prepare them for success in an increasingly technological world and workplace.

"Computer science is about more than programming; it's 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, "Collaborating 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 future workplace.

Shakira has been a long-time advocate for 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 children 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 the communities.

Shakira explains: "I am happy to once again collaborate 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 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 her top Spanish-language hits, including "Amarillo" and "Chantaje," on MusicLab, the popular platform from Code.org and Amazon where students can learn to code through interactive music composition, based on hits from artists around the world.

Thanks to a grant from the Amazon Future Engineer program, Code.org and the Barefoot Foundation, the collaboration has begun with the first in 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 fundamental computer science concepts. The teacher trainings organized by Code.org and the Barefoot Foundation will continue through 2025, beginning in February with the training of 100 additional teachers. The project seeks to enrich and enhance students' skills in language, math and computer programming, improving pedagogical practices and student learning practices in the STEM sciences, thus helping to close the education gap in underserved communities.

"At Amazon, we believe that access to high-quality computer science education is crucial to preparing all students, especially those from minority communities, to thrive in the digital economy," explains Victor Reinoso, global director of education philanthropy initiatives at 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 technology skills needed 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, Code.org has supported more than 746,000 students and 22,000 teachers since 2014 to advance computer science teaching and learning. Each year, students in Spain and Latin America participate in the Hour of Code, an initiative that introduces programming to millions of elementary school students around the world. This year's Hour of Code campaign, "Making the Invisible Visible," celebrates the many ways in which programming empowers everyday life.

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