Hidden Genius Project celebrates Oakland students completing tech program
Hidden Genius Project celebrates Oakland students completing intensive tech program
The Hidden Genius Project celebrated 75 young men who completed its intensive technology and leadership program, with students showcasing their projects at Lodestar school in East Oakland.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A group of young men showed off the technology they created and celebrated their accomplishments in Oakland, after completing an intensive program designed to prepare Black male youth for opportunities in technology and entrepreneurship.
Celebrating accomplishments
Dig deeper:
The Hidden Genius Project held its end-of-summer celebration at Lodestar: A Lighthouse Community Public School, where students demonstrated their projects, received awards and celebrated alongside their families and community.
Among them was high school junior Robert Love II, who showed off a video game he created called "Ninja Moves," in which players race to reach the end of each level as quickly as possible.
For Love, learning how to code was only part of what he gained from the program.
"This just gave me the opportunity and it changed me to truly believe that I can do this. Before I was a little bit of a self doubter. I was doubting myself. I've made games before, or I've attempted to, and I'm like, this isn't good enough," he said.
By the numbers:
Love is one of 75 students who completed the Hidden Genius Project's intensive immersion program, a 15-month, 800-hour program that trains and mentors Black male youth in computer science, technology, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and leadership.
Love said he hopes to become a game developer or work for a gaming studio.
He said the program gave him greater confidence that he can build a career in the tech industry.
"They taught me how to code and how to have faith in myself to actually present. They know that the world of tech is scary for somebody like me, but they also know it's possible to make it there. So once you see people who are like you, who have said, 'I've made it. I've done these things.' You can actually believe in yourself a little more," said Love.
Building access and confidence in tech
The backstory:
The Hidden Genius Project was founded in Oakland in 2012. The organization seeks to give young Black men access not only to technical skills, but also mentors, relationships and professional networks.
CEO and Oakland native Brandon Nicholson said those connections can make a significant difference for young people trying to enter the industry.
"We have so many young men who come from so many circumstances and contexts, and so the most important thing for them is to be able to have more access. Sometimes they're coming from a low-income background. Sometimes it's middle-class or better. But even then, at times when we don't have the same relationships, we don't have the same networks. It can be very difficult to get a leg up. So we meet these young men when they're in high school, and we stick with them. We believe they're geniuses for life," said Nicholson.
What they're saying:
Families at the celebration said they have watched the students grow both technically and personally during the program.
"It's amazing to see his passion actually come to life. He has always expressed an interest in coding. I remember when he was seven, he came and was like, 'Mom, do you know what binary codes are?' I was like, 'I have no idea.' He's like, 'It's just a series of zeros and ones.' We're like, 'We got to put you in coding,'" said parent Danielle Matos-Osorio.
Love's family said one of the biggest changes they have seen is his growing confidence and ability to explain the projects he creates.
"Just seeing him actually flourish to the point to where his confidence is coming out, because that was the thing. He could create something, but the fact that he wasn't able to actually articulate it and express it, it is an amazing thing to watch because that was something he really did struggle with," said Robert Love.
About the program:
The program is free to participating students and their families.
The Oakland celebration, held in the city where the Hidden Genius Project got its start, is one of several celebrations for the organization, which also serves young people in communities including Richmond, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Betty Yu is a KTVU FOX 2 reporter. Follow her on Instagram and X at @bett_yu
The Source: Interviews with The Hidden Genius Project students, parents and CEO.