Florida A&M University (FAMU) announced last week it will become a community center for Coding and Creativity as part of Apple’s Community Education Initiative and Tennessee State University’s HBCU C2.
The teaching and learning initiative is designed to empower Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to expand technology and creativity experiences within their institutions and broader communities.
“This initiative will provide a gateway for minority students at FAMU and in the Tallahassee community to access high-tech opportunities. This introduction of coding to these constituents is an important step to bridge the digital divide. We are honored to be a partner in this endeavor,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson.
FAMU is now among nearly four dozen universities across the country serving as HBCUC2 community coding centers or regional hubs. Since 2019, participating HBCUs have offered new learning opportunities to thousands of degree-seeking students and community learners and expanded their impact through partnerships with local K-12 schools, community organizations, local governments, and more.
As part of its Community Education Initiative, Apple is supporting FAMU with equipment and ongoing professional development to become the pre-eminent HBCU C2 community center to bring coding and creativity to Tallahassee, Florida.
Faculty and educators will learn about coding and app development, and work with Apple to identify opportunities to incorporate its comprehensive Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create curricula, which utilizes the easy-to-learn Swift programming language. Support from Apple also includes mobile iPad and Mac labs, opportunities for student jobs and scholarships, and funding for staff.
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