April 17, 2023
Google’s Code Next lab is a free computer science education program that meets Black, Latinx, and Native high school students in their own communities and provides the skills and inspiration they need for long and rewarding careers in computer science–related fields.
Participants engage in curriculum, learn from coaches, and drive their own projects, such as designing and programing a robot and 3D-printing an Android chess set. Students also gain access to Google mentors, tech experts, and the latest in technologies, from laptops to virtual and augmented reality.
For students who prefer in-person experiences, currently four cities have in-person labs: Oakland, California; Chelsea, New York; Harlem, New York; and Detroit, Michigan. Programming is available for ninth- through twelfth-grade students who live in the areas around the labs, and cover topics from rigorous coding to entrepreneurship.
For students who live outside of these lab cities, Google’s online Connect program for high school students across the United States consists of various clubs that students can apply to be a part of, where they engage in lessons with real Google employees. Club topics range from game design to hardware development. Programming is open to secondary school students anywhere in the United States, although the programs specifically target ninth- through twelfth-grade students. Clubs occur three times a year: fall term, winter term, and spring term.