The Hispanic Heritage Foundation�"s Code as a Second Language program has gone international

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s (HHF) CSL (Code as a Second Language) program has gone international thanks to the  EducationUSA Panama program at City of Knowledge and Comunidad Dojo by supporting the first "Virtual Tech Summer Camp" from February 4^th – 26^th.  The camp is being offered free of charge for the 300 participants from all over the country who completed the admission process. 

During the program, instructors from the Comunidad Dojo and CSL will teach the basics of Information Security and programming with Scratch and Python. Prof. Eduardo Snape, Founder & Director of La Comunidad Dojo comments, "We hope the camp will help students not only gain necessary skills but also develop confidence and interest towards the use of technology."

In addition to the course in basic programming, EducatonUSA Panama has organized "Virtual Career Showcases" which will be a series of webinars with Panamanian professors and alumni linked to U.S. Universities. Gladys Bernett, EducationUSA Adviser in Panama, explains that “During the showcases, guest speakers will share their experience using different technologies (GIS-Mapping, Serious Gaming, Data Science, Data Visualization) to help identify and solve current challenges in areas such as climate change, food security, logistics, cybersecurity, hydroinformatics, and even in careers related to the growing e-sports industry etc." The purpose of the Virtual Career Showcases is also to allow Panamanian youth to visualize new and exciting majors and specializations available to them in the US. The Career Showcases will be open to the general public and students from all 10 provinces are encouraged to register. 

Through virtual platforms, HHF plans to expand their programmatic reach, in English and in Spanish, after the Panama effort across Central and South America as well as other students in countries who tune in even beyond CSL.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with EducationUSA at the City of Knowledge and Comunidad Dojo in taking our programs international through the vision and collaborative spirit of Gladys Bernett and her colleagues,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.  “The past year has challenged us as an organization to adapt all our programs to a virtual format across the United States and has also provided an energizing opportunity to broaden our reach to any student that can access our programs across Latin America and the Caribbean where English or Spanish are spoken.  We’re grateful to our friends in Panama for allowing us to get started in this exciting direction.” 

Driving CSL is the fundamental belief that all youth deserve access to a tech-based education and the opportunity to enter the workforce and the rest of their lives in a stronger position.  HHF believes computer science is not only prepare for the future but also will improve problem-solving, risk-taking, communication, influence, organizing for social justice, creativity, confidence and can bridge to success at other subjects.

About EducationUSA Panama

EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State global network of more than 425 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries about higher education opportunities in the United States. The program was first established in Panama in 2004 and since 2020 has a new advising center at the City of Knowledge Foundation.  Follow @educationusapty on Instagram and Facebook.

About Comunidad Dojo

It is a non-governmental and non-profit organization with the mission of offering professional growth opportunities through accelerated training programs and continuous updating in information security, web infrastructure and technology. Its mission is to train professionals locally and regionally, dedicated to technology and information security, whose technical skills are world class. https://comunidaddojo.org

About Hispanic Heritage Foundation

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is a national nonprofit focused on education, workforce, social impact and culture through leadership and innovation.  Through organization’s Code as a Second Language (CSL) program, tens of thousands of students across the nation are introduced and taught to code. Once they are initiated, they are connected to a larger network of coders including mentors, workshops, activities through award-winning LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) program for further development, connectivity and placement into the workforce and Fortune 500 companies (Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org) Follow HHF on Facebook and Twitter.