Want to learn how to code? Code Next, Google’s free computer science education program, educates high school students on how to code, and trains them to be future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In the past, applications were only available to students in California and New York, where Google has physical labs. However, the tech giant recently opened the program to students across the U.S. thanks to its new virtual platform dubbed “Code Next Connect.”

The platform, which aims to attract students who live outside cities where Google has physical labs, has 16 different clubs students can apply to, and will connect them with Google employees who will mentor and educate them in various fields of computer science. Clubs are broken down by topic, such as hardware development or game design. 

While the program is open to all U.S. high school students, it is primarily geared towards Black and Latinx students (mostly in grades 9 and 10). According to Code Next’s website, the goal of the program is to meet Black and Latinx students where they live and provide them with “skills and inspiration they need for long and rewarding careers in computer science-related fields.”

“Recent research shows that only 45 percent of U.S. schools offer computer science (CS) courses, and that Black, Latinx and Female students especially lack equitable access to a CS education. So I beat the odds: I am a Black, female, computer engineer at Google,” Shameeka Emanuel, Diversity STEM Strategist at Code Next told The Journal.

“Majoring in systems and CS at Howard University opened up so many opportunities in my life and career,” she continued. “Computing jobs are the number one source of new wages in the U.S.; clearly, these skills are becoming as important as reading and writing and we can’t afford to leave anyone out. Code with Google is our commitment to closing equity gaps in CS….”

Upcoming winter and spring programs are currently open to any high school student in the U.S. 13 years old or older. The deadline to apply is Feb 3. You don’t need any previous coding experience to apply.