At The Fortune Society, the Digital Equity (DE) program equips participants with the tech skills necessary for navigating the digital world. Through workshops on various topics such as typing, setting up an email and understanding Microsoft Office, participants gain tools to help them hone critical tech skills and gain valuable knowledge.  

DE continues to provide innovative and engaging workshops for participants, helping them learn tech basics and explore their personal interests like photography, AI, robotics and more.  

Last week, DE launched a new workshop in partnership with Brooklyn Robot Foundry. The organization offers Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) classes for children and adults from its base in Brooklyn, NY and at franchise locations across the country. Over the next couple of weeks, enrolled participants will practice coding and build different robotics projects in the Robot Coders 101 workshop at Fortune’s Long Island City service center.  

During the first workshop, two teachers from Brooklyn Robot Foundry introduced the goals of the six workshop classes and expanded on some of the upcoming projects they’ll create.  

The teachers also introduced participants to their individual hummingbird kits, which include lights, sensors and other materials for building. In each workshop class, participants will build a new robotics project using these materials and continue to build upon their foundational skills. Many of the participants enrolled in the workshops are beginner coders, and the classes will help them master some fundamental concepts.  

“We’ll be talking about how to think in a coding capacity,” said Maddie. “A lot of coding can feel intimidating when you’re seeing or writing a lot of script. This program takes that confusing element out of the equation.”  

Participants were eager to begin learning and building. To start, they practiced setting up a Bluetooth connection between their hummingbird kits and their tablets. By going through all of the materials, they began to familiarize themselves with what they’d be working with during each of the classes.  

The facilitators also encouraged participants to get creative and experiment with their projects. While each project follows a similar concept in the action it will complete or the coding it requires, participants have the freedom to create what they want with the materials.  

The Robot Coders 101 workshop will conclude on June 4 after six classes. By then, participants will have gained a better understanding of key coding principles while also having hands-on practice creating various robotics projects.  

Learn more about Brooklyn Robot Foundry’s programs here.