Young Coders' Initiative founder, 16, aims to help the underprivileged become computer-savvy

As a high school senior at the nationally recognized School for Advanced Studies (SAS) in Miami, Aryaman Jaggi has a lot on his plate.

The 16-year-old straight-A student from North Miami Beach, who plans to graduate with an added two-year college degree next summer, also refreshes his mind on weekends as an accomplished rower, recently competing with the Miami Beach Rowing Club.

Despite his packed schedule, Aryaman still makes time to volunteer and teach others, focusing on an area close to his heart: computer science education. Recognizing the growing importance of this field, especially for younger generations, he shares his expertise with students ranging from elementary school children to young adults.

Aryaman founded The Young Coders' Initiative (YCI), a non-profit organization run by high school students passionate about promoting computational literacy and career opportunities in computer science throughout the community.

"A big part of this is to encourage and inspire a love for the subject (computer science) early on," he said. "We believe having a kid memorize logical operators or truth tables is not as important as making sure they have fun doing it. This philosophy increases the chance they'll continue their studies into higher education.

"In line with this goal, we try to make our sessions as engaging as possible, encouraging meaningful one-to-one relationships between our volunteer teachers and students and theming our lessons around topics that are more relatable to younger audiences, such as Minecraft (video game), which they love."

But what is coding? Simply put, it is the science of converting human instructions into a language that the computer can understand to build more complex systems. To Aryaman, however, computer science is more than just coding or algorithms; it's a powerful tool for solving real-world problems, fostering creativity, and increasing social mobility.

Aryaman's volunteers focus on underprivileged and underrepresented youth by visiting schools with historically low exposure to the field and introducing students to computer science as a possible career path. They also help students with internships, jobs and college admissions. The organization is committed to "Making an Impact in Miami."

Over the past year, the Young Coders' Initiative group has worked with various educational non-profits, such as Achieve Miami , Breakthrough Miami , the Overtown Youth Center , and Girls Who Code , reaching over 500 students for a combined 2,000+ hours of lessons. Ransom Everglades, Country Day and the University of Miami have been the sites of some of those workshops.

Aryaman, who founded The Young Coders' Initiative in 10th grade, has tried to spread the word about the group's mission through its Instagram site but now hopes to expand that reach.

"More recently, we have been trying to spread the word about YCI through our social media and other channels in an effort to recruit more volunteers and secure additional funding to buy our students laptops," he said.

"This past year, we were able to purchase four laptops with the donations. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's made a difference. We had one student who enjoyed coding and really wanted to learn more, but he didn't have a laptop at home. So, through donations and with the help of the school (School for Advanced Studies), we were able to get him one."

There's also a new YCI branch at MAST Academy on Key Biscayne.

Hugo Alvarez, a Coral Gables resident, is one of two student volunteers who partnered with Breakthrough Miami this summer. Twice a week, for five weeks, the classes at the University of Miami included some 20 or more students willing to learn instead of kicking back and enjoying a care-free summer.

"I definitely saw progress," said Hugo, a 17-year-old senior. "It was pretty good because you were able to see kids who, in some cases, did not even know how to start coding, and by the end of the class, they were doing their own projects and making their own games. It's a fun way to get them interested."

Aryaman said The Young Coders' Initiative isn't intended for the "kid who has a 1580 on his SAT. They can learn all this at home, online, if they want, or in class."

What his group does is provide the 1-to-1 personal touch to answer immediate questions and get students who otherwise wouldn't pursue a STEM-based field interested in computer science as a potential career path.

"This field has been around for years, but that's why it's important to teach it," Aryaman said. "Too many schools in this country (49%) have NO foundational computer science courses, and this number is higher for schools in Florida, specifically majority-minority areas and low-income neighborhoods.

"I'm sure you could get a high-paying job somewhere else, but I believe this is the best career for social mobility. It doesn't matter if you study computer science at a less prestigious college. It has more to do with the competency of the individual (when it comes time for hiring). It's such a prolific field."

He said the students they teach are "traditionally, middle school students, but the groups vary widely from older elementary school students to early high school students."

Aryaman was born in Greenwich, CT, but moved to New York when he was six months old. His family, with its heritage from India, then moved to New Delhi before Aryaman returned to the U.S. to finish his Miami schooling.

Aryaman said he enjoyed coding in middle school, but it wasn't until high school that he realized he "wanted to teach something."

"My experiences in 10th grade (at Miami Beach Senior High) enlightened me. Teacher shortages in Florida hit the school hard. My Spanish teacher left, my Computer Science teacher left ... and it was then I realized that how I wanted to make my mark was through education," he said.

Aryaman hopes his volunteer work with YCI is only the start. He wants to study Educational Technology while pursuing a college degree and use what he learns to make quality education accessible to all.

After he graduates from SAS next summer, he'll have to pass the baton to the group's next leader.

"Education is the key to unlocking the potential in every child," Aryaman said. "I hope that by laying this foundation with YCI, we can inspire future generations to not only pursue their passion, but also to pass on the knowledge and opportunities to others. It's about creating a ripple effect — one that I hope will continue long after I've moved on."