It's been a while, hasn't it? If you know me, you know that when I am silent, I am working my hardest. Empowr has lots of updates coming out within the next month. Here's a small taste.

Company Updates

• Empowr launched Empowr Live. We now have our custom platform where we host classes. Students have loved the platform as it allows for more interactive learning through white-boarding, break-out rooms, polling, presentations, and sooooo much more. All are made possible through our partner, BigBlueButton Host.

• We have open-sourced our coding plugin. This plugin for the OpenEdx platform allows students to complete coding exercises in the browser. What makes our plugin different is that it compiles and runs the code so that students can create powerful scripts with an authentic experience. The server that enables these extra features will be open-sourced soon as well. We decided to reveal our code because we genuinely believe in education being accessible to all. Look forward to another blog post coming soon detailing all of the features.

• We have a new partnership with PluralSight that will allow our students to upskill themselves beyond the courses Empowr teaches. Can you imagine our students learning to build apps and Project Management, Server Development, User Experience, etc. Y'all, these kids are going to change the world.

Student Updates

• Cohort 2 has entered its second year. They are already hard at work building an app to impact their community. I'm being vague on purpose. We did some cool things this year and will have a social media reveal soon. So be sure to follow us.

Thank Yous

• Y'all... Lemme tell you... Ms. King... Ms. King. If you ever imagined a school counselor who Rides for her students. It. Is. Ms. King. She has been hard at work on and off the job to ensure South Atlanta High School students have access to everything. She works diligently to give her kids access to the city's best programs. Thanks to her, Empowr is now one of them. We cannot wait to update you more on what's coming next.

Asks

• Recruiting season is closing! If you know of any incoming 9th or 10th graders interested, we invite them to join ASAP.

• Amazon will donate money to Empowr on your behalf (read: Free for you) for every item you purchase on their website. Click here to set up your profile.

• Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Monthly Soul Food

"Have a vision. Be demanding." -Colin Powell