In a bustling classroom located in the heart of Silicon Valley, students sit observantly behind glowing screens, voraciously taking in information that will shape them into the leaders of tomorrow. Watching on in pride, stand leaders of the international non-profit organization, Hwarang, who helped bring the event together.

Named after an ancient elite group of young Korean warriors, The Hwarang Youth Foundation is a youth non-profit organization program that seeks to instill pride in its members, develop and train future leaders, and contribute to the community. Founded in December 2006 in Southern California, Hwarang currently boasts over 2000 members worldwide, with bases in America, Korea, Ukraine, and Philippines.

Dedicated to meeting the specific needs for each unique community, Hwarang leaders took the initiative to establish a program that would strive to promote STEM education to youth growing up in Silicon Valley, one of the fastest growing technological hubs of the world.

The result was a partnership between Hwarang leaders and K-Group, a non-profit organization led by Korean tech experts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Both organizations worked together to provide complementary coding lessons to local youth from October 20th, 2018 to November 10th, 2018. The courses utilized a computer program called Scratch to teach the students the core elements of coding, and allow them to bring pixelated characters to life. Furthermore, students were able to visualize the effect of code in real life through the use of Hamster Robots whose movements were teleoperated by student’s coding. Needless to say, the event was a huge success, and classes were fully booked in advance.

Hwarang Silicon Valley vision proved to be a tremendous service to local youth, providing them with an invaluable opportunity to learn the skill of coding for free. Beyond technical skills, Hwarang used its lessons to help promote happiness, friendship, and education by fostering a supportive environment. Much like the ancient warriors that gave Hwarang its namesake, the youth shaped through Hwarangs initiatives and programs will no doubt go forth to become forces of inspiration and admiration.

<Eric Choi / Bellarmine College Prep 10th Grade>