Patch,com
By Eric He
EAST PALO ALTO, CA — StreetCode Academy in East Palo Alto was named the 2021 Nonprofit of the Year for the 13th Senate District by state Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park).
The organization, which seeks to empower communities of color in Silicon Valley with access to technology, was honored by Becker for its work to bridge the digital divide during the pandemic.
In response to COVID-19, StreetCode expanded its remote learning programs by providing 20,000 hours of free technology classes serving more than 5,500 people in the region. It also provided 2,500 students at the Ravenswood City School District with free tech support, and helped secure laptops for hundreds of students to use free of charge.
"In any given year, tackling this issue would be challenging enough," Becker said during a virtual ceremony on Thursday. "Compound that with a once-in-a-century pandemic, and I can imagine it felt almost impossible. But rather than losing hope, amid the myriad of unprecedented challenges you all have had to tackle, you rose to the occasion. You ensured that education and economic opportunities were readily accessible to those truly in need of it."