The Hidden Genius Project - Community Partnership Programs

K-12 STEAM education

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

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

In Los Angeles, youth of color—especially those in historically underserved neighborhoods—continue to face systemic inequities in education, economic opportunity, and access to high-quality, culturally responsive STEM learning. Schools and institutions often lack the resources or relevance to engage these young people in ways that reflect their lived experiences, creativity, and potential. Community-based organizations across L.A. County are trusted anchors for youth and families but frequently lack the technical expertise, curriculum, or capacity to offer meaningful tech-based programs. The Hidden Genius Project’s Community Partnership Programs fill this gap by providing free, dynamic workshops in areas like AI, app development, and radical entrepreneurship, through the networks of local CBOs and similar youth-facing institutions. Led by alumni Youth Educators (ranging from 17-25), these sessions foster identity, leadership, and technical confidence in spaces where it’s most needed.

Through our Community Partnership Programs, The Hidden Genius Project collaborates with Los Angeles-based schools, nonprofits, and community centers to deliver free, high-impact technology and entrepreneurship workshops to Black youth and other underserved populations. Led by our trained Youth Educators—graduates of our Intensive Immersion Program who receive additional pedagogical training —these sessions provide culturally responsive, peer-led instruction in areas like web development, AI, and radical entrepreneurship. Workshops are designed to be flexible in duration and content, allowing partners to meet youth where they are. This approach builds trust, centers identity, and equips young people with real-world skills, mentorship, and exposure to tech careers. By embedding cost-free programming directly in trusted community spaces, we eliminate access barriers and spark long-term engagement in innovation pathways.

If successful, The Hidden Genius Project’s Community Partnership Program will help reshape the landscape of opportunity for Black youth and other underserved communities across Los Angeles County. By embedding culturally responsive, tech-centered programming in trusted community spaces, we will ignite new pathways into innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership—especially in neighborhoods historically excluded from these fields. Youth will gain tangible skills, confidence, and mentorship from relatable role models, driving increased engagement in education and the workforce. Community organizations will be better equipped to offer high-quality, future-ready programming. Over time, this will contribute to a more equitable tech ecosystem, where youth from all backgrounds are empowered to lead, build, and transform their communities.