More than 600 students in underserved communities have benefited from GM’s support of a coding program created by the Washington, D.C.-based Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF). The program, Code as Second Language, is a partnership between GM Corporate Diversity and the HHF, carried out by GM Latino Network (GMLN) volunteers. The program invites elementary through high school students to an all-day code boot camp or an eight-week coding academy. The program focus on students in underserved communities where the majority of the population is Hispanic. Programs have taken place in Phoenix and Tempe, Ariz.; in Arlington and Austin, Texas; in Roswell, Ga.; and Pontiac, Mich., since the fall of 2015 and will last until the winter of 2018. GM has supported the Code as a Second Language program since 2015. Its goal is to create awareness of STEM careers such as software engineering and computer science. It also aims to address a projected shortage of professionals in STEM careers. The program also strives to use Hispanic volunteers as coding teachers so that students are able to see professionals who look like them succeeding in careers and encouraging them to aspire to a STEM career. “It has been incredible to see young students who had never been exposed to programming complete a program of their own after just a few hours of instruction,” said Alexandra Figueroa, lead senior software developer and a volunteer with the Chandler, Ariz., GMLN Business Resource Group. “It has been great to see how this experience has increased students’ self-confidence and interest in pursuing STEM careers.”