EngineerChi Programs
A web-based software engineering education and AI workforce development program built for people of color, low-income communities, and historically excluded groups across Chicago and beyond. We train the next generation of engineers — and we make sure they're ready for the AI-powered world they're entering.
Get InvolvedOur Mission
The tech industry has a representation problem — and AI is about to make it worse, or better, depending on who gets access. Black, Latino, and low-income communities are systematically shut out of one of the fastest-growing sectors in the economy. South Side Code exists to change that. We're building our own web-based learning platform to train talented people from these communities in software engineering and AI-assisted development, giving them a direct pathway into the jobs and industries that are shaping the future. No tuition. No gatekeeping. Just access.
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No tuition barrier. No degree requirement. We meet people where they are.
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We teach real-world tools and workflows, not just theory. Fellows build and ship actual software.
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We build a network, not just individual skills. Our fellows support each other and grow together.
Who This Is For
South Side Code is specifically designed for communities that face the greatest barriers to entering the technology industry — including the emerging AI economy.
Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other communities of color who are underrepresented in the technology workforce.
Individuals from low-income households who lack access to traditional pathways like four-year universities or costly bootcamps.
Career changers, community college students, self-taught beginners, and anyone who didn't follow a traditional CS path.
Women, especially women of color, who face compounding barriers in an industry still dominated by men.
People re-entering the workforce after gaps — whether from caregiving, incarceration, or economic displacement.
Community members with ideas and drive who want the technical skills to build and own their own digital products.
The Curriculum
Our curriculum is practical, project-based, and built around the modern web stack. By the end of the program, you'll have built and deployed real software — and you'll know how to use AI tools to move faster, write better code, and keep learning on your own.
Logic, variables, functions, loops, and data structures using Python. We start from the very beginning — no prior knowledge assumed.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You'll build and style real web pages and learn how the browser renders content.
Python and the Django web framework. Databases, models, views, authentication, and APIs — the full server-side picture.
Git, GitHub, and the practices that real engineering teams use every day — branching, pull requests, code review.
Deploying applications to the cloud using platforms like Railway, Render, or AWS. Fellows learn to take their projects live.
By this point in the program, you know how to build. Now we show you how to build faster. This module introduces AI-assisted development — using tools like GitHub Copilot and large language models to accelerate your workflow, debug smarter, and iterate on your projects at a pace that would have taken years before. We cover what AI can and can't do, how to prompt effectively, how to verify and own the code it generates, and how to stay sharp as the engineer driving the process. This isn't about replacing your skills — it's about amplifying them. Fellows who finish this module leave as the kind of developer the workforce is actively looking for right now.
Each fellow builds and ships a real-world software project of their own design — applying everything learned, including AI-assisted workflows, to produce a portfolio piece they fully own and can demo to employers.
Program Structure
South Side Code is a cohort-based program. Fellows go through the curriculum together, building relationships and accountability along the way — from Python basics all the way through AI-assisted development.
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A focused, intensive 16-week cohort that moves from zero to deployed product.
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Evening and weekend sessions designed around working adults and caregivers.
1:1
Every fellow is paired with a working software engineer for mentorship and career guidance.
$0
No cost to fellows. The program is funded through partnerships, grants, and community support.
Get Involved
Whether you want to apply as a fellow, volunteer as a mentor, or support the program as a partner — we want to hear from you.