Code Our Future: South LA Rising

K-12 STEAM education

South LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Ms. Johnson, 72, misses doctor appointments she can't schedule online. Jaylen, 13, brilliant but computerless, watches college dreams slip away. They represent two sides of South LA's digital divide.
The data hits hard: 90% of our participants lack computers or the internet. Youth see Silicon Beach wealth 15 miles away but can't complete homework online. Black and Latinx youth are 70% of South LA but only 9% and 15% of LA's STEM workforce—locked out of careers paying double the median wage. Seniors built this community but can't access telehealth, benefits, or distant family.
Digital exclusion isn't just inconvenient. It impacts life chances and opportunities.
The solution stares us in the face: Youth have digital intuition but no devices. Seniors have wisdom but fear technology. When we connect them, magic happens. Youth gain purpose teaching elders. Seniors gain patient guides. Both gain dignity.
We're not just closing the digital divide. We're bridging the wealth and generation gap.

Limitless Career Pathways creates comprehensive tech pathways for South LA through programs serving both youth and seniors:
Limitless Robotics: Using Junior Botball curriculum aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, youth progress from never touching computers to programming autonomous robots. In 2017, they placed 4th at the International Botball Competition as the only predominantly Black team among 300 competitors.
Podcast Incubator: Through our Spotify partnership, youth develop their voices,. They create content about their lives, community, and dreams, claiming narrative power while building technical skills. We bring in field leaders such as Van Lathan (formerly TMZ) and Marcellus Wiley (formerly ESPN and Fox) to mentor participants in storytelling and production.
Generation Connect Digital Literacy: Partnering with Gen-Connect and Inglewood USD, we work with high school interns to train 60 seniors annually in essential digital skills: email, telehealth, banking, video calling. Every senior receives a laptop. Classes are patient and culturally responsive.
Community Tech Center: We’re transforming our secured 1,500 sq ft space into a vibrant hub that supports all our programs. More than a computer lab, it’s where homework gets done, business ideas grow, and generations connect. Our Design Center will employ program grads—completing the pathway from student to staff. Our instructors are local, ensuring the knowledge shared is as relatable as it is relevant.

Success is a senior teaching her church group Zoom because a youth from our GenConnect partnership showed her how. That youth later lands a tech internship because teaching gave her valuable communication skills.
Year one: 60 seniors gain digital independence, no longer missing vital appointments or benefit deadlines. 30 elementary youth master robotics while 30 high school youth develop teaching skills. Families reconnect. Isolation decreases. Opportunity increases.
The ripple effects transform South LA. Youth who teach become leaders. Seniors who learn become advocates for digital equity.
Long-term, barriers crumble. Youth see elders as students worthy of patience. Seniors see youth as teachers worthy of respect. South LA becomes known for innovation across ages—seniors navigate technology confidently while youth compete globally.
Together, they code a new narrative where age doesn't determine digital access, teaching flows both ways, and community means nobody gets left offline.