The Harlem CODEtrotters STEM-Tech Coding Curriculum is Available Now

With a commitment to advancing excellence in tech education and empowering Black and Brown youth communities, Microsoft and the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters have unveiled The Harlem CODEtrotters, a coding curriculum and web-based accessible platform.

Announced this week by Darrell Booker, Microsoft, Corporate Affairs Specialist, and Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios, The Harlem CODEtrotters is designed, and developed, for underserved elementary and middle-school students of color to bridge the educational gap that many face throughout the school year. The microsite will introduce basketball-themed programming fused with cutting-edge technology, including coding fundamentals, AI skilling; serving as an engaging curriculum tool inspired by the Harlem Globetrotters' brand.

"Our Goodwill Ambassador Initiative focuses our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) efforts around the strategic pillars of Health & Wellness, Education and Community Empowerment," said Dawkins. "We have found, in Microsoft, a best-in-class partner who aligns with our mission and is committed to using its scale and technology to enhance and empower not only the communities that we serve, but that many of our players have historically come from."

Students will learn coding skills in a fun and engaging way as they code (and create) a Harlem Globetrotter player dribbling down the court whilst answering Harlem Globetrotters Trivia. For every correct answer, they advance forward reaching the ultimate basketball goal to shoot the game winning shot! All materials are available online on Microsoft’s Community Training learning management platform, which gives nonprofits the ability to educate students wherever they are, on any device, in low bandwidth networks and even offline.

"Despite the fact that more than 80 percent of Black and Latinx teens enjoy playing video games, they account for only 15 percent of the gaming industry," said Booker. "The Harlem Globetrotters brand, in collaboration with our Microsoft MakeCode and Community Training platforms, provides inclusive opportunities for acquiring essential computer science skills in a culturally relevant manner."

On October 9, both Microsoft and the Harlem Globetrotters hosted The Harlem CODEtrotters debut event in New York City, inviting elementary and middle-school students to exclusively partake and engage with the game’s functions and tooling. Both organizations will also work with select local community organizations, schools, and non-profits to organize community engagement events, workshops and presentations that will introduce students to The Harlem CODEtrotters! Elementary and middle-school students will put basic coding skills to the test, with the added bonus of introducing kids to the rich history of the world-famous The Harlem Globetrotters.

Microsoft’s Non-Profit Tech Acceleration Program is committed to providing non- profit educators and facilitators with turnkey resources. Through the program, nonprofits gain free access to a downloadable comprehensive MakeCode educator/facilitator guide to teach students to build The Harlem CODEtrotters. Learn more at aka.ms/Codetrotters.