Benedict College joins Apple coding initiative

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Benedict College will become a regional coding center as part of Apple’s Community Education Initiative, a partnership with historically Black colleges and universities.

The HBCU C² program, which launched last year at Tennessee State University, added 10 Community Centers for Coding and Creativity in July. Benedict’s inclusion in the program was announced Monday, the first day of Computer Science Education Week, which runs until Dec. 13.

“Benedict College is pleased to become an integral part of Columbia’s workforce development efforts through the provision of coding training programs,” Roslyn Clark Artis, Benedict College president and CEO, said in a news release. “The need for coding skills is growing faster than the current job market, which places those who master coding on a fast track to high-income jobs.”

Benedict faculty will participate in professional development programs to learn about coding and app development, as well as ways to engage students with Apple’s programming curriculum. Apple is also providing equipment to the university.

As of July, the Community Education Initiative encompassed 24 locations across the country, including 12 HBCUs.

”Apple is committed to working alongside communities of color to advance educational equity,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, said in a news release announcing the July expansion. “We see this expansion of our Community Education Initiative and partnership with HBCUs as another step toward helping Black students realize their dreams and solve the problems of tomorrow.”