HYPE's digital leap with Microsoft Azure and Community Training

The foundation of HYPE

HYPE, which stands for Hope for Youth through Provided Education, is an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization founded by Kristina Newton in 2017. Inspired by her own experiences as a young Black woman in the tech industry, Newton created HYPE to provide a supportive community for young girls aspiring to become future leaders in tech. Through the HYPE Scholars initiative, the organization focuses on empowering girls of color through free coding workshops, leadership development, and valuable advice on entering the tech field.

“Knowing that hope was such a huge pillar of what I believe I was meant to do, it needed to be a pillar of this organization I was going to create,” stated Newton.

Microsoft Community Training using Azure

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Newton and her team faced challenges in expanding their outreach and impact. After relying on volunteers, she eventually discovered Microsoft's Nonprofit Tech Acceleration (NTA) program, which provided the necessary support and resources to help HYPE grow.

The NTA program offered cost-saving tech support and tools such as Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft Azure, enabling HYPE to enhance their productivity and make a greater difference in the communities they serve. Newton also adopted Microsoft Community Training, a low-cost training/skilling platform built on Azure.

The Community Training platform’s flexibility allowed Newton and the HYPE team to effectively communicate crucial information to funders. It also provided offline learning capabilities for K-12 and customized curriculum tailored to coding, digital literacy, cybersecurity basics, and project management. This approach equipped students with a broad skill set. Additionally, HYPE teachers using the platform were able to customize courses to fit their students' needs, creating a personalized learning experience.

“The online platform that we created using Azure and other Microsoft resources allowed us to develop on-demand programming and training that facilitated the relaunch of the 2024 HYPE Cultural Immersion Program, which took place in Kingston, Jamaica. This was our first international coding camp led by HYPE Scholars after COVID,” stated Newton.

As a result, HYPE has reached approximately 4,200 students across Georgia. Their annual report also displayed a significant improvement in student engagement and learning outcomes, with over 85% of HYPE students demonstrating enhanced digital literacy skills and 90% expressing increased interest in STEM careers.

“The support that we received from the NTA program has really saved us thousands of dollars and has greatly increased our productivity and increased our ability to make a difference in the communities that we serve,” said Newton.

Partnership, expansion, and empowerment

Following NTA’s introduction, HYPE was also able to collaborate with Atlanta Dream and partner with Inspire Her Basketball Clinics, powered by Microsoft. This partnership combined the world of STEM with basketball to further empower girls in the Atlanta community. By leading several hands-on coding workshops, Newton was able to advocate for HYPE’s initiatives by demonstrating various career possibilities to the community's youth.

“I’m grateful they [Microsoft] were able to make that connection that HYPE empowers girls in tech, and Atlanta Dream was looking to empower girls in the community as well,” said Newton.

HYPE's new goals focus on alumnae engagement, national expansion, and program quality. This summer, HYPE will launch its first out-of-state coding camp in Baton Rouge, leveraging five years of success with Microsoft's support to expand nationwide and train educators on the HYPE Homeroom LMS. Additionally, HYPE is investing in professional development and curriculum updates, including AI-fluency and data analytics, with Microsoft providing training on Microsoft Copilot.

The HYPE program has since expanded to six Metro Atlanta School districts, representing 35 counties and three international cities. Newton aims to reach 20,000 Georgia girls by 2028 through more collaborations, exposure, and through HYPE’s direct programming.

“We've gained access to a myriad of offerings right away, and I think that's what really makes the NTA program very special,” said Newton. “Together, we're helping individuals and their families beat the odds.”

From transforming difficulties into opportunities for growth, Newton’s continuous commitment towards diversity and inclusion in the tech field, especially for young girls, is evident. HYPE is continuing to establish itself as a force that will create the future tech leaders of the 21st-century workforce.