Global music icon Shakira has partnered with Amazon and Code.org, through her non-profit, Fundación Pies Descalzos, to expand computer science education for Hispanic students worldwide.
The collaboration will help young people learn to code through an interactive music experience that uses Shakira’s Spanish-language hits and also provide computer science education training to teachers across Colombia.
Learning to code through music
Shakira has long worked to enhance educational opportunities for underserved communities in Latin America.
In celebration of the partnership, Shakira has donated songs like “Amarillo” and “Chantaje” to Code.org’s Music Lab, where students learn coding through music creation.
The platform, developed by Amazon and Code.org, makes coding fun and accessible by blending it with interactive music creation.
Shakira shared, “I’m happy to partner once again with Code.org to be part of highlighting both the importance of computer science learning and its different applications including in the world of music creation; and to contribute in helping Hispanic students gain access to a field that has gained major relevance in today’s industries and will only continue to do so.”
Training teachers in Colombia
The partnership also sees Amazon’s Future Engineer program, which funds tech education in underserved communities, supporting teacher training workshops in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Hosted by Code.org and Fundación Pies Descalzos, the project teachers equips teachers with the skills needed to teach computer programming.
The workshops began last month and have already trained 25 teachers, impacting over 2,400 students. The program plans to reach 100 teachers and thousands more students across Colombia by 2025.
“Through this collaboration, we can help unlock the potential of the next generation of innovators and empower Hispanic youth with the tech skills needed for future success,” said Victor Reinoso, Amazon’s global director of philanthropic education.
