Eight Years Strong. Tulsa’s Tech Future is Calling.
Eight years ago, in 2017, Urban Coders Guild began with a bold idea: unlock tech opportunity for young people who have been shut out for too long. Today, we are celebrating the students, families, educators, and partners who turned that idea into momentum.
Our mission is simple yet ambitious. We provide computer science education, access, and opportunity to youth from historically underserved, underrepresented, and under-resourced communities in Tulsa. Our vision is a Tulsa where education and workforce development form a true cradle-to-career pipeline, one that reflects the legacy of Historic Black Wall Street and builds a broader, more inclusive tech economy for the next generation.
What has that looked like on the ground? Students building real products and presenting their work with pride. Teens earning microcredentials and academic credit that translate into internships and first jobs. Alumni returning as mentors, proof that confidence and community travel together. Classrooms that feel like launchpads. Showcases where parents see what is possible, not just what is probable.
How we do it, at a glance. Urban Coders Guild runs free, project-based afterschool programs and summer intensives in web development, mobile app development, Unity game development, and cybersecurity. Learners progress through structured pathways, stack credentials, and gain exposure to college and career opportunities with support from caring instructors and community partners.
Why now matters now. Tulsa is a federally designated EDA Tech Hub focused on trustworthy autonomous systems. That means our city is investing in research, startups, and jobs that need a diverse, homegrown talent pipeline. Our students are that pipeline.
At the same time, afterschool and DEI initiatives that serve students of color are under pressure and, in some places, under active attack. Proposed federal changes threaten the only dedicated funding stream for afterschool and summer programs, and new directives and state actions have pushed schools and universities to restrict or dismantle DEI programs. Families feel this uncertainty. Students feel it most.
Eight candles on the cake sounds sweet. We are here for sustained heat. The next eight years will be about scale, stability, and deeper partnerships so every young person who wants a place in Tulsa’s tech future can find a seat, a mentor, and a path.
Call to action: The future of Tulsa’s workforce depends on what we invest in today. Afterschool programs are more than safe spaces—they are launchpads for education, innovation, and career pathways. Programs designed to support workforce development and to uplift students of color face increasing pressure, yet they remain essential to building an inclusive economy.
Stand with us. Support afterschool programs that prepare every young person to thrive in school, in work, and in life. Together, we can ensure that opportunity is not the privilege of a few, but the right of all.
Donate to Urban Coders Guild
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