SYLDI Announces Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Daughter A #YesWeCode Hackathon Judge

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Feb. 16, 2017 - PRLog -- #YesWeCode Hackathon taking place at Montgomery Academy for Career Technology (MPACT) on March 4, 2017 is honored to have iconic civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King's daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King as a distinguished judge of this inaugural technology bootcamp for high school students in Tuskegee, Selma, Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama.

Spirit of Rosa Parks Day

The #YesWeCode Hackathon Montgomery, a technology bootcamp and competition is part of the Spirit of Rosa Parks day events, kicking off on March 4^th from 9am – 12noon.  The schools' locations are significant to Mrs. Rosa Parks journey prior to and during the Montgomery bus boycott.  Registration is free for all high school students.  The day will start with a light breakfast and video greeting from Van Jones, whose #YesWeCode was a collaborative project with the late music genius Prince.  The students will participate in two preparation workshops, "Coding101" and "Center of Gravity" followed by an innovation competition, where 24 finalists will compete in solving an "education" or "economic empowerment" problem in the form of a diagram demonstration, prototype or any creative way of showing their innovation.  One team will be awarded the "Spirit of Rosa Parks Innovation Award" which will be presented at The Recy Taylor Story event from 1:00pm – 3:00pm at Alabama State University.  All finalists will receive prizes provided by OMG Media Solutions and #YesWeCode.

Mrs. Doris Crenshaw, founder of SYLDI was mentored by Mrs. Rosa Parks and served as the Vice President of the NAACP youth council in Montgomery at the young age of twelve (12). "Mentoring is critically important to help youth navigate a very complicated education system.  It is important that students understand that their job is to show up ready to discover and innovate", said Mrs. Crenshaw.  Showing up is key to taking advantage of these resources that will prepare students for high paying careers of the 21^st century.

Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center was quoted as saying "reducing the education inequality gap is a priority for The King Center and to be invited to participate in a day that honors my father and mother's legacy is an honor".  Dr. Bernice A. King will judge the competition with technology experts, Monique Linder (Founder/CEO of OMG Media Solutions), Felix Flores (National Director of #YesWeCode and Rodney Sampson (Technology Expert / Angel Investor).

Students do not need to know how to code. No preparation is required to participate.  There is no cost to register.  Register today.  Space is limited.

Register online at: http://www.syldi.org/yeswecode-hackathon/.

Get involved and stay connected on social media at:

Twitter: @_SYLDI          Facebook: SYLDIOfficial          Google+: SYLDI MONTGOMERY
         ###

About Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute (SYLDI)

SYLDI's mission is to provide opportunity to youth through programs that create policy change in education and protection of voter's rights based on the legacy of civil rights leaders that gave their lives fighting for freedom and human rights for all. SYLDI established in Montgomery, Alabama in 2004 to train youth 12-18 years of age to combat the inequalities of education.  SYLDI inspires, cultivates and trains youth with leadership potential to bring about a more disciplined approach to problem identification and resolution of issues that impact our education policies. More information at: http://www.syldi.org

About #YesWeCode

Many have been searching for ways to uplift today's urban youth and help them achieve a more promising future. We believe that one solution lies in connecting tech and social justice leaders to spearhead revolutionary tech programs whose benefits extend to the most disadvantaged of society. #YesWeCode is a Dream Corps initiative that works with partners to help connect 100,000 underrepresented minorities to careers in technology. More information at: http://www.yeswecode.org

About The King Center

Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change ("The King Center") has been a global destination, resource center and community institution for over a quarter century. Nearly a million people each year make pilgrimage to the National Historic Site to learn, be inspired and pay their respects to Dr. King's legacy.  More information at: http://www.thekingcenter.org