Celebrating 10 Years of Capital One Coders
Capital One associates have helped empower students to recognize their potential as technologists over the past decade
Since its inception 10 years ago, Capital One Coders has sought to create a world where every student succeeds in the digital age and builds a better future with technology.
Capital One technologists have worked directly with middle students throughout the program to build a mentoring relationship and inspire confidence as they explore technology through design thinking and coding. Capital One Coders has also recently expanded its efforts to support high school students.
According to Code.org, computing jobs are the No. 1 source of new wages in the U.S. Code.org shares that there are currently over 500,000 current job openings in this field, and that they’re projected to grow at twice the rate of all other jobs. However, only 90,000 computer science graduates entered the workforce in 2023.
By engaging students at a key stage of their development, Capital One Coders strives to bridge that workforce gap in the computer science field. Our programming strives to make computer science education available to all students regardless of their background, as the majority of Coders students are female or from other backgrounds that are underrepresented in STEM.
“This program started with a vision to help students cultivate greater interest in computer science during a critical time in their development,” says Rob Alexander, Chief Information Officer at Capital One. “We recognized a way to leverage the talent and passion of our associates to help shed a light on the possibilities of a future with technology through mentoring relationships.”
Volunteers guide students through problem solving, teamwork, and the basic principles of software development and web design. Rather than giving students answers to remember, Capital One Coders gives them problems to solve. Through hands-on experiential learning, students develop greater confidence in Computer Science as they explore technology through design thinking and coding.
Students learn HTML and CSS, two coding languages frequently used in web development, before being challenged to build a website of their own.
Since 2014, Capital One Coders has partnered with more than 150 schools and nonprofit organizations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and our technologists have contributed more than 185,000 volunteer hours to the Capital One Coders program. In turn, more than 22,000 students have been exposed to careers in computer science.
“I have a student in my Spring session of Coders who has used her personal time to develop her website,” says a Richmond Public Schools teacher. “She comes to class motivated and excited to share her progress with me and now aspires to become a software engineer. I'm so proud of her progress and eagerness to learn the new skill.”
Capital One Coders is part of our broader mission to change banking for good, which we are propelling forward through the Capital One Impact Initiative. Learn more about the Capital One Coders program here.
Launched in October 2020, that initial $200 million, multi-year commitment strives to advance socioeconomic mobility and create a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to prosper through advocating for an inclusive society, building thriving communities and creating financial tools that enrich lives.