Malinda Williams Launches Coding Bootcamp For Women At HBCUs
Actress and entrepreneur Malinda Williams has launched the E.S.T.E.A.M. Project, a coding bootcamp for women that are currently enrolled at HBCUs.
The E.S.T.E.A.M. Project is now accepting applications until March 31, 2024. Selected students will kick off the program at Jackson State University’s campus from May 30, 2024 through June 2, 2024.
According to a press release, this initiative in partnership with Williams’ Arise And Shine Foundation was designed around three pillars: upskilling core competencies in technology, fine-tuning soft skills for business success, and facilitating connections for industry mentorships. The project’s aim is to equip women with valuable coding and technical skills and to create a space for women to learn from each other and collaborate on projects that pour back into their communities. Participants will explore how coding, app development, and STEAM training can help them find success in a variety of career paths. At the core of the curriculum, students will learn SwiftUI, Apple’s programming language.
“As a professional actress and someone who has experienced first-hand the support of my community, I understand the value of collaboration and paying it forward,” Williams said in the release. “The Arise And Shine Foundation exists to empower women to reach their goals and coding is a powerful tool – it is the language of the future. The E.S.T.E.A.M. Project will offer young women an avenue to acquire valuable skills to propel them forward in the 21st century.”
“We are delighted to join forces with Malinda Williams and the Arise and Shine Foundation, Inc., to serve as the host institution for the launch of the E.S.T.E.A.M. Project,” JSU President Marcus L. Thompson, Ph.D added. “The future breakthroughs that our world needs are intertwined with careers in science, engineering, math, technology and the arts. Therefore, it is our honor to help facilitate an event where the power of Hollywood will combine with the type of research excellence that Jackson State University promotes for young women.”
