In the last year, hospitals, transportation systems and county offices in Kansas and Missouri have been the targets of cyberattacks. As society's reliance on technology grows, so does the demand for cybersecurity specialists.
In partnership with Kipp Legacy High School, WeCodeKC has created the program WeCodeThaBloKC. It aims to help young people in underserved communities break into the tech industry, where high-paying, in-demand jobs abound.
"When I first joined WeCode, I was like, I didn't really like all the computer stuff and hacking and other stuff like that," said Mario Jackson, a sophomore student who participates in the WeCodeThaBloKC program.
"But, as I got to interpret it and understand it more and see how these big things I thought were huge were really simple things if you just think and focus, it's really pretty much easy."
- Sharmelle Winsett, vice president of development & strategic partnerships for WeCode KC
- Jarreous Brown, high school junior at Kipp Legacy High School
- Mario Jackson, high school sophomore at Kipp Legacy High School
