“YouthCode—Gaza” aims to empower Gazan youth through computer programming and human-centered design.
Code.X is excited to partner with Amideast to launch a youth coding program for Gaza youth. YouthCode-Gaza will provide students with a unique approach to computer science, human-centered design, and project management fundamentals, taught by Code.X volunteers from top U.S. universities and tech companies. Our curriculum develops computational, creative, and critical thinking skills in youth, preparing them to become change agents in their communities. YouthCode–Gaza will further the innovative approach to technology education previously provided through Code for Palestine, which Code.X offered in partnership with PalTel Group Foundation from 2015 to 2022, graduating 300+ Palestinian youth who now constitute a sustainable community of young tech leaders and creators in Palestine.
In their collaboration on YouthCode–Gaza, Amideast and Code.X aim to close skills gaps by fostering technical skills and promoting youth entrepreneurship, both of which are increasingly necessary in careers even outside of STEM. Participants will learn coding and design-based thinking, as well as problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and confidence and resilience in the face of new challenges and opportunities. Students will be encouraged to be more creative, opportunity-oriented, proactive, and innovative with guidance and mentorship from our Code.X instructors—tech experts from the United States and Canada who will volunteer their time to lead this program's camps.
This new 12-month program will begin with a 14-day summer camp in 2023, followed by a winter camp in December, and will conclude with a summer camp in 2024.
Details for the 2023 summer camp, including dates and the number of students, will be released soon.
About Code.X
Code.X is a nonprofit organization that empowers youth through Computer Science and Human-Centered Design in developing countries and among displaced refugees. It leverages the talent and passion of top university students and recent graduates, affording them the opportunity to teach promising students around the world.
About Amideast
Established in 1951, Amideast is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to creating hope, opportunity, and mutual understanding among people in the Middle East, North Africa, and United States through life-changing opportunities for education and cultural exchanges. Working with local, regional, and international partners, we provide programs and services that improve educational opportunity and quality, expand access to U.S. study, empower youth and women, strengthen local institutions, and develop language and professional skills for success in the global economy. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Amideast operates offices in 11 countries in the MENA region. In Palestine, Amideast offers diverse programs and services through local offices in Ramallah, Gaza City, East Jerusalem, Nablus and Hebron.