Kind Footprint · Education Program
Recode the Future Coding Education for Youth in Medellín
Recode the Future is Kind Footprint’s technology education program for young people aged 15 – 20+ from Medellín’s most underserved neighborhoods. We teach web development, place graduates in tech jobs, and permanently change their economic trajectory. 30 students trained. 10+ now working in Colombia’s tech sector.
10+
Graduates in tech jobs
15–20+
Age range
2×/week
Tue & Fri classes
The Problem We're Solving
In Medellín's Barrios, Opportunity Doesn't Knock
Young people in Medellín’s strata 1 and 2 neighborhoods grow up surrounded by limited options. Without access to quality education or professional networks, many face cycles of informal labor, economic instability, and social exclusion not because they lack talent, but because no one gave them the tools.
Meanwhile, Colombia’s tech sector is experiencing explosive growth. Medellín is now recognized as the Silicon Valley of Latin America, with over 3,400 tech companies and 15% annual growth in employment. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are expanding here and they need developers.
The gap between these two realities the barrio and the boom is exactly what Recode the Future exists to close.
How It Works
A Program Built Around Real Barriers
We designed Recode the Future knowing that access alone isn’t enough. Here’s what every student receives:
Computers & Equipment
Every student has access to a computer during class. No personal device required. The program removes the hardware barrier that stops most low-income youth from learning tech.
Twice-Weekly Classes
Sessions every Tuesday and Friday in an after-school format designed to fit around school schedules without forcing students to choose between education and other obligations.
Healthy Meals Included
Students receive a nutritious meal at every session. Focus and learning require physical energy especially for youth from food-insecure households.
Job Placement Support
Graduation isn't the end it's the beginning. The program supports students in finding employment with coaching, portfolio review, and direct employer connections. Also valid for freelance work.
What Students Learn
Real Skills. Real Projects. Real Jobs.
The curriculum is taught in Spanish and designed around employability not theory so every graduate can enter the Colombian tech market immediately.
- Html
- Css
- Javascript
- Python
- Soft Skills
- Freelance Ready
The program began with volunteer instructors. As it advanced, the highest-performing students were compensated to return as junior instructors creating a cycle of internal mentorship and economic opportunity.
Verified Impact
10+ Young People Now Working in Tech
More than ten graduates of Recode the Future have secured well-paid jobs in Colombia’s technology sector. For context: an entry-level developer in Colombia earns between $13,600 and $18,000 USD per year more than four times the national minimum wage. For a young person from a strata 1 or 2 barrio in Medellín, this isn’t just a job. It’s a permanent exit from poverty.
Program Data
Impact by the Numbers Recode the Future
All figures from direct program monitoring, student follow up, and partner reports.
Student outcomes
Curriculum distribution
Salary comparison
Student profile
* Data source: Curriculum is approximate. Salary based on Colombia tech benchmarks 2024–2025.
Why Volunteer With Us
Your Skills Have Real Impact Here
Why This Investment Makes Sense
Your Donation Has a Measurable Return For a Young Person in Medellín
When you donate to Recode the Future, you’re funding a specific skill set in a city experiencing a tech employment boom, targeting an age group where education permanently alters life outcomes. Colombia’s tech industry represents 1.7% of national GDP and is growing at 15% per year.
Give Donation
Support this program
Recode the Future is made possible thanks to the collaboration of all our donors committed to empowering young people through technological education in Medellín.
