LAS VEGAS – Thousands of NFL fans recently crowded the streets of Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl matchup between defending champions Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. The game, which went into overtime with the Chiefs winning, was the most-watched Super Bowl in history. Away from the star-studded parties and flashing lights, another fierce competition was underway.
Coding 4 the Culture is an annual music coding competition hosted by the JReid Indeed Foundation.
The foundation is the brainchild of Kansas City Chiefs defensive back and two-time Super Bowl Champion Justin Reid. With the help of corporate sponsors, celebrities, and local educators, Reid’s Foundation offered 30 high school students the opportunity to submit remixed music beats of their favorite recording artists. Before the competition, students participated in virtual computer science workshops using the free online code editor EarSketch. This year’s competition was held at Democracy Prep, Agassi Campus. Located in North Las Vegas, Democracy Prep is a highly respected charter high school where mostly Black and Hispanic students come daily to broaden their minds and elevate their horizons.
“Technology will forever be the game changer for this generation,” said Justin Reid. “Growing up in Louisiana, I had limited access to technology education. Attending Stanford University, however, changed so much for me. Not only did I have the opportunity to play football, but also receive a world-class education that prepared me for the game of life. I truly believe that if young people have access to technology, we can level the playing field and, therefore, offer greater economic opportunities for them to thrive and make a difference in their communities and the world. Coding 4 the Culture is a fun way to meet students where they are and use technology to promote their creativity.”
Before entering the NFL in 2018, Reid was an all-star athlete and honor student at Stanford University, majoring in industrial engineering and computer science. He played three seasons with the Houston Texans before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowl rings.
With more than 150 students, parents, teachers, corporate representatives, and judges watching, the competition went down to the wire. In the end, three winners emerged. Alana Dolphin captured third-place honors, and Faith Jotojot took home the competition’s second-place winnings. Graduating senior Luis Infante walked away with first-place recognition. All winners took home gifts and prizes donated by Adidas, Amazon, Garmin, the Kansas City Chiefs, ServiceNow, and the JReid Indeed Foundation. Remixes were compiled into a soundtrack for Justin and his Kansas City teammates.
Judges included Reid’s parents, Sharon and Eric Reid Sr., Marissa Rand of Fidelity Financial, Tamara Washington of Boom Media and Image Consulting and Dream Hustle Code, Michael Brock of Dream Hustle Code, Daniele Frost of the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation, and Latasha Causey of the Phoenix Raceway. Ian Michael Brock, co-founder of Dream Hustle Code and author of “New Nerd,” was the event MC.
Students were treated to a motivational speech and impromptu performance by 11-time Grammy nominee and Coding 4 The Culture judge Blanco Brown, who performed his hit single “The Get Up.”
Coding 4 the Culture sponsors included Boom Media and Marketing, Cover Communications, Dream Hustle Code, ServiceNow, TechItUp, and The M Resort.
Plans are underway for next year’s competition in New Orleans, the site of Super Bowl LIX. To learn more about JReid Indeed Foundation and Coding for the Culture, visit jreidindeed.com.
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