
Programs
We welcome Black, Latinx, AAPI, Indigenous learners
14 - 25 years of age, who are committed to attending and being actively engaged in classes
hustle: Tech Foundations
June 9th, 2025 - August 1st, 2025
Hustle into tech with an introduction to foundational tech skills and career pathways at Hack the Hood.
This program will teach you the fundamentals of Python, core skills in software development, and give you a primary understanding of data types and class structures, and sharpen your collaborative skills. The Hustle program balances lectures, career exposure panels with industry professionals, peer-to-peer learning, video tutorials, and workshops that will help you begin to see yourself in tech.
To bring your new skills to life, our unique #Tech4Justice curriculum will help ground your technical learning in current social justice topics and help you explore how to build solutions to social problems using technology.
A $500 learning stipend and free laptop are provided to support your journey. Discover the opportunities that await you as you Hustle your way into a career in tech.
-No prior tech knowledge is required.
hustle 2.0: Web Development
June 9th, 2025 - August 1st, 2025
Hack the Hood’s Hustle 2.0 is an immersive program designed to equip you with the skills to build visually captivating, responsive websites while exploring tech career pathways.
This hands-on program will guide you through the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—empowering you to design and develop fully functional websites from scratch. You’ll sharpen your problem-solving skills, collaborate with peers, and gain real-world experience through project-based learning.
Hustle 2.0 balances lectures, peer-to-peer learning, workshops, and career exposure panels with industry professionals to ensure you not only build technical skills but also discover where you can thrive in the tech industry.
To bring your skills to life, our unique #Tech4Justice curriculum will ground your technical learning in current social justice topics and teach you how to build solutions for social challenges using technology.
By the end of the program, you’ll have mastered essential web development skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, created responsive web pages that enhance user experience, developed a fully functional website from scratch and built a project portfolio to showcase your work to potential employers
A $500 learning stipend and free laptop are provided to support your journey into tech. Discover the opportunities that await you as you Hustle your way into a career in web development.
Some prior tech knowledge is required.
build: Data Science
June 9th, 2025 - August 1st, 2025
Leverage your Python skills to learn about data science and how to identify, solve and answer problems using data and Build up your tech hustle! This program is for Hustle program alumni and learners with existing programming skills in Python from self learning, AP CS courses, or other coding programs. Build is designed to expose you to the data science process and help advance your skills in this critical area of technology. The Build program balances lectures, career exposure panels with industry professionals, peer-to-peer learning, video tutorials, and workshops that will help you see yourself in tech.
Our unique #Tech4Justice curriculum will help ground your technical learning in current social justice topics and empower you to explore how to build solutions to social problems using technology. This project will also contribute to your tech portfolio to show off their skills to potential employers.
A $500 learning stipend and free laptop are provided to support your journey into your tech career pathway.
drive: Your Career Pathway
May 2025 - May 2026
Apply Now!
Drive your career into tech! This exciting and intensive year-long program is designed to help you secure a Certificate of Achievement in Data Science, get internship ready, and navigate your career pathway in tech. You will be supported with a free laptop, a $250 monthly learning stipend, mentorship, monthly career development workshops, a community of support, and additional opportunities!
The Drive program is a hybrid of Hack the Hood’s Tech for Justice curriculum, technical content, career pathway exposure and development, and Laney College College courses. The Drive program will bring you up to speed with an introduction or continuation of your existing programming skills in Python, expose you to the data science process and help advance your skills in critical areas of technology. From beginning to end, the Hack the Hood team and our partners at Laney will support you to enroll in Laney college, understand and complete the FAFSA, and persist toward your goals.
The Drive program is a big commitment, but a clear and direct path to obtaining a Certificate of Achievement in Data Science, as well as support in applying to an internship or apprenticeship. This is your chance to find your lane and Drive your career forward!
Potential careers pathways after completion include but are not limited to Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, and Software Engineer.

Our programs' technical curriculum will focus on teaching participants junior-level software engineering skills within the most popular programming languages and frameworks. In 2024, we will continue to focus on delivering programs using Python.
What Students Will Learn:
The aim of this program is to expose students to both socio-technical issues and skills to support their intersectional tech identity development through discussion based learning, technical skill development and mentoring exposure with mentors from supporting companies and communities. Each week will be structured around the four components of our curriculum framework:
Technical content - essential Python coding skills, introduction to and skill building in software development
Social Justice and Community - weekly socio-technical problem exploration
Intersectional Tech Identity Development - career and education exploration and mentorship
Practical skill demonstration - development of a simple portfolio and presentations by learners.
After completing the Hustle: Tech Foundations program, participants will be able to:
Apply a social-justice perspective to the design, development and deconstruction of technical solutions.
Apply fundamental coding skills to simple software development
Communicate with and about human-centered technical problems and possibilities
Differentiate pathway types for further tech career development among bootcamps, associate degree programs, 4-year institutions and self-taught career options
The aim is that each learner will complete the program with a portfolio of projects to demonstrate their learning and skills. Of most importance, learners will be exposed to a breadth of socio-technical topics and technical exposure to develop their own technical career pathway.
Weekly Summer Schedule
all times are in PST
June 4th, 2025
In-person orientation
June 9th - August 1st 2025
Structured Lectures:
Mondays 10:00-1:30 pm & Thursdays 10:00-12:30 pm
Group Work:
Tuesday: 10am - 12pm / 11am - 1pm / 1pm - 3pm / 2 - 4 pm
Wednesday: 10am - 12pm / 11am - 1pm / 1pm - 3pm / 2 - 4 pm
You choose the day and time slot best for you!
August 4th - August 28th, 2025
Final Project: Meet w/ your group and TA weekly to finish your project
(you and your group choose the time)
August 29th, 2025
4:30-7:00pm In person graduation
What Students will learn:
The aim of this program is to expose students to both socio-technical issues and skills to support their intersectional tech identity development through discussion based learning, technical skill development, professional skill development, and career awareness via panels with mentors from tech companies and communities. Each week will be structured around the four components of our curriculum framework:
Technical content - essential Python coding skills, introduction to and skill building in data science and analytics.
Social Justice and Community - weekly socio technical problem exploration that discusses ethics in tech design. This session will focus on data activism and Jim Code.
Intersectional Tech Identity Development - weekly career exploration and mentorship with tech professionals as well as professional skills development through workshops.
Practical skill demonstration - development of a simple portfolio of coding and data samples via weekly assignments and presentations by learners.
After completing the build: Data Science Foundations program, participants will be able to:
Apply a social-justice perspective to the design, development and deconstruction of technical solutions.
Apply fundamental coding skills to address simple data science problems and develop core data analysis and engineering skills with an emphasis on data collection, analysis and visualization for social justice.
Communicate with and about human-centered technical problems and possibilities.
Differentiate pathway types for further tech career development among bootcamps, associate degree programs, 4-year institutions and self-taught career options.
The aim is that each learner will complete the program with a portfolio of projects to demonstrate their learning and skills. Of most importance, learners will be exposed to a breadth of socio-technical topics and technical exposure to develop their own technical career pathway.
Weekly Summer Schedule
all times are in PST
June 4th, 2025
In-person orientation
June 9th - August 1st 2025
Structured Lectures:
Mondays 10:00-1:30 pm & Thursdays 10:00-12:30 pm
Group Work:
Tuesday: 10am - 12pm / 11am - 1pm / 1pm - 3pm / 2 - 4 pm
Wednesday: 10am - 12pm / 11am - 1pm / 1pm - 3pm / 2 - 4 pm
You choose the day and time slot best for you!
August 4th - August 28th, 2025
Final Project: Meet w/ your group and TA weekly to finish your project
(you and your group choose the time)
August 29th, 2025
4:30-7:00pm In person graduation
What Students Will Learn:
Hustle 2.0 is designed to equip learners with the skills and knowledge needed to build dynamic, responsive websites while developing a strong intersectional tech identity. Through discussion-based learning, hands-on coding, and mentorship from industry professionals, students will gain both technical expertise and a deeper understanding of how technology intersects with social justice.
Each week is structured around the four components of Hack the Hood’s curriculum framework:
Technical Content – Foundational web development skills, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, GitHub, and website deployment.
Social Justice and Community – Weekly explorations of how technology can drive positive change while addressing socio-technical challenges.
Intersectional Tech Identity Development – Career and education exploration alongside mentorship from tech professionals.
Practical Skill Demonstration – Building a personal project portfolio and presenting completed websites.
After completing the Hustle: Tech Foundations program, participants will be able to:
Apply a social-justice perspective to the design, development, and critique of web-based solutions.
Create responsive websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Communicate effectively about human-centered technical problems and possibilities.
Differentiate tech career pathways, including bootcamps, associate degree programs, 4-year institutions, and self-taught options.
By the end of the program, learners will have a completed portfolio of projects demonstrating their technical skills and creative problem-solving abilities. Most importantly, participants will leave with the tools, exposure, and confidence to continue developing their unique tech career pathway.
Weekly Summer Schedule
all times are in PST
June 4th, 2025
In-person orientation
June 9th - August 1st 2025
Structured Lectures:
Mondays 10:00-1:30 pm & Thursdays 10:00-12:30 pm
Group Work:
Tuesday: 10am - 12pm / 11am - 1pm / 1pm - 3pm / 2 - 4 pm
Wednesday: 10am - 12pm / 11am - 1pm / 1pm - 3pm / 2 - 4 pm
You choose the day and time slot best for you!
August 4th - August 28th, 2025
Final Project: Meet w/ your group and TA weekly to finish your project
(you and your group choose the time)
August 29th, 2025
4:30-7:00pm In person graduation
drive: Laney is a partnership between Hack the Hood and Laney Community College in Oakland, CA to deliver a 12-month long college and career cohort that supports students in completing a Certificate of Achievement in Data Science and persisting in their STEM education.
The experience provides tech-based learning, support, and career exposure opportunities. Learners are provided with a free laptop, a $250 monthly learning stipend, mentorship, monthly career development workshops, a community of support along with dedicated counselors, instructors and cohorted classes at Laney Community College.
12-month paid program will offer learners:
a $250 monthly learning stipend
The opportunity to join a like-minded, supportive cohort of other early-career BIPOC youth passionate about leveraging tech for social justice
Mentorship from a tech professional who can help learners network, refine their tech skills, and set their career vision
Professional development workshops hosted in partnership with leading tech companies to help learners level up their resume, job search, and coding skills
Support in enrolling and matriculating into Laney Community College
Participate in collaborative learning experiences through priority enrollment to complete a Certificate of Achievement in Data Science.
Who is eligible for this program?
Black, Latinx, AAPI, and Indigenous folk 17-25 years of age who would like to pursue a Certificate of Achievement in Data Science as an entry level into tech education.
After completing the drive: Laney 12-month program:
Learners will have enough credits to receive a Certificate of Achievement in Data Science. Learners will transition to our HtH alumni program where they will continue to receive professional development and support pursuing career development opportunities
Program Dates: May 30th, 2025 - May 2026
June 9th to August 1st
Hack the Hood: Hustle or BuildStructured Lectures: Monday and Thursday from 10am -1:30pm PST
Group Work: Tuesday or Wednesday 10am-12pm, 1pm-3pm, or 4pm-6pm PST (you choose!)
August 4th - August 29th, 2025
Final Project: Meet with your group and TA weekly to finish your project (you and your group choose the time)
August - December 2025
Fall Semester at Laney Community College
January 2026 - May 2026
Spring Semester at Laney Community College, dates TBD
September 2025 - May 2026
Professional Development Workshops every 3rd Thursday of the month
drive 2025- 2026 applications are now open!
Please click the link below to apply!