A St. Paul organization is working to bring more people of color into the tech field through a program aimed at creating a pathway to success.

Only 8% of the career field is made up of Black workers, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

30,000 Feet, a St. Paul organization, hopes to raise that number.

Before being introduced to the world of coding, it never crossed Jacqyra Lovejoy’s mind she could work in the tech field.

“I’m from Detroit, Michigan, so opportunity like that is unheard of,” she said. “This was a completely new opportunity for me.”

30,000 Feet made it possible.

Its Tech Geeks program is helping young people of color reach new heights.

Lovejoy was put in a paid position to learn how to speak a new digital language through coding.

“The problem-solving, it keeps me intrigued,” she said. “I feel like with coding, there’s something different every day.”

Through each course, students ages 14 to 18 learn to build websites, develop apps, and put their own creativity into video games.

It’s an opportunity that feels out of reach for some young people of color because of the lack of access to high-level learning.

“There’s a very high interest in it. However, there’s not a lot of opportunity to enter into the field to know where to start and what knowledge they need to know,” Vanessa Young, 30,000 Feet programs and policy director, said.

After students wrap up the course, they’re awarded a coding certificate and a possible internship opportunity.

“There’s not a lot of representation for them to kind of see themselves in those spaces. We are doing what we can to put them in those spaces,” Young said.

Lovejoy is hoping to be an example.

The 16-year-old landed an internship at HealthPartners after her coding training.

“I think representation is very important,” Lovejoy said. “I hope that I can be a role model for other people who look like me so that they think, ‘Hey, I can do this if I want to. She’s doing it.”

Applications for the Tech Geek program are open during September. The next round of classes will start in October.

The nonprofit serves about 200 students a year through the Tech Geek program.