Technology education program wants to bring out the geniuses in Chicago's young Black men
CHICAGO (CBS) – A national program with roots in Chicago is helping bridge the gap in the technology divide and encourage self-esteem.
Some say there's a hidden genius in all of us. A program, that teaches technology, entrepreneurship and more is helping young Black men in Chicago and around the country find the genius blossoming in them.
It's aptly called The Hidden Genius Project.
The energy was unmistakable. There was genius in the room.
The Hidden Genius Project is helping young men to be their best selves while learning all things tech.
"The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship and leadership skills to transform their lives and their communities," said Eric Steen the Chicago site director for the program. "We have a 15-month immersion program where our young men obtain over 800 hours of computer science training."
"I love coding. I like how to learn about background of how to make websites, and learn more about how to create it," said Samir Donnejour, a high school sophomore. "I really like how this place has given me opportunities to learn more about it."
On the day CBS 2 visited the program, the geniuses were using coding skills they learned over the summer to create real-life games.
"We put them on teams and make them strategize on how to beat the other team," Steen said. "We put them in obstacle races against other teams, and that allows them to kinda start working together."
Even beyond learning how to work together, the exercise is about brotherhood.
"We know it just doesn't end with the Hidden Genius Project," Steen said. "They become brothers for life."
He added, "I think often times, our young men only have the opportunity to really build that brotherhood when they're playing sports. We wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to build it somewhere else, because they wanted to better themselves. They want to create things for the future."
Speaking of creating a future, Yusuf Seward started in the program as an intern. They liked him so much that now, at age 18, he's the project's innovative educator, taking geniuses through leadership and coding exercises.
"It's teaching them how to use tech in their daily lives to better the communities around them," Seward said. He added, "Just from being here in the time that when some of our geniuses started to where they are now, I can see such a huge difference in their personalities, their maturity and what they know."
Take 16-year-old Zuri, who sees coding, computers, and applied chemistry in his future. He's getting a good start on it all at The Hidden Genius Project.
"The feeling of making something that's unique to you is something that I relate to," Yuri said.
Support services manager Candace Kyles' job is to relate to the geniuses. She's their "go-to" for social and emotional support.
"My job is to make sure that if there's any services they need, whether it's tutoring or mental health services, academic services, that they're getting that," Kyles said. "If they know we care, then they'll come and they'll share big moments with us and they'll share small moments with us, but they always know that someone is one their side."
And that caring creates opportunities in tech, an area where Black people are still underrepresented.
"At the end of the day, we want our boys to have an opportunity. We want them to have access to technology and we want them to feel the love that we know that they deserve," said Steen. "We know that each one of them has a genius deep inside of them and we know that it takes a community to help bring that genius out, and we want to provide that community for them so they can reach their ultimate height."
The Hidden Genius Project is part of a national effort and has divisions in Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit, among other cities. There are also programs for girls, men and women. They just ask that participants bring their curiosity.
For more information on The Hidden Genius Project, visit their website, hiddengeniusproject.org.
