High Schoolers to Pursue Careers in Tech at CodeHouse Event

On March 2, 2023, CodeHouse, the 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by Eta Lambda Chapter Brothers Ernest Holmes and Tavis Thompson hosted Tech Exposure Day (TEXD) 2023, a five-hour program focused on inspiring diverse high school students in the Atlanta metropolitan area to pursue careers in tech.

Eta Lambda Chapter President Bro. Dr. Avery Kenly and Bro.

Zachary Holston (Γ‘18, ΗΛ) also played key roles in the event, serving as CodeHouse’s Director of Student Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator, respectively. On the field of MercedesBenz Stadium, more than 3,000 budding innovators from school districts including Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton County, Fulton County and Gwinnett County had the opportunity to hear directly from diverse representatives of leading tech companies, learn about opportunities in tech, and participate in an engaging challenge to win prizes like a PS5, Nintendo Switch, and a $1,000 scholarship.

Throughout the day, students explored the TEXD Tech Village to learn about careers at companies like Google, Dropbox, Microsoft, and Adobe, visited the Main Stage to tune into live panel discussions with executives, and competed in an interactive Scavenger Hunt enabled by NFC technology tokens designed by students in the Spelman Innovation Lab.

There was also a live step show performance by the Alpha Rho Chapter seated at Morehouse College.

“Bringing Tech Exposure Day to its biggest stage yet was a major step forward for CodeHouse as we look to increase diverse representation in tech. Our mission is all about providing our youth with the information and resources they need to pursue their dream careers, and this program was designed to do just that,” said Ernest Holmes, Eta Lambda Chapter Brother and CodeHouse President and Cofounder. “We hope all of TEXD’s attendees left feeling encouraged, inspired, and ready to solve the world’s most challenging problems with the confidence knowing that there’s a seat at the table for them in tech.”

CodeHouse was founded in 2019 when Bro. Holmes and Bro. Thompson, alongside Bro. Holmes’ sister Jaycee, were each pursuing careers in tech and identified a dire need to increase diverse representation across the industry.

“We hope all of TEXD’s attendees left feeling encouraged, inspired, and ready to solve the world’s most challenging problems with the confidence knowing that there’s a seat at the table for them in tech.”

Bro. Ernest Holmes, AP ‘18, ΗΛ

This spring, CodeHouse will launch its third CHSI cohort, expanding the program to include 30 incoming freshmen who plan to attend either Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T University, or Spelman College and major in a STEM-related field.

To learn more, visit www.thecodehouse.org.

To date, CodeHouse has secured more than $4 million in funding from leading tech companies like PayPal, Google and Microsoft; hosted multiple Tech Exposure Days to educate thousands of high schoolers across the country about careers in tech; and launched the CodeHouse Scholars Initiative (CHSI), which provides HBCU students majoring in STEM-related fields with $20,000 in academic scholarships, networking opportunities, mentorship, and technical training as they matriculate.

Dr. Charles N. Hawk, Jr. Scholarship for