Technology is moving fast, and our communities can no longer afford to just be consumers—we must be the creators. Sankofa Kings is where Ancestral Wisdom meets Artificial Intelligence. We are preparing the next generation of young Black men to step up as the "Social Architects" who will design the future of Oakland.

The Commitment & The Bag

This isn't a coding camp—this is a year-round engine of innovation. Sankofa Kings runs on a three-cycle model across the year, bringing in a brand-new cohort of young Black men each season to experience a complete "culture-to-launch" software sprint. Whether joining the high-intensity 6-week Summer cycleor the deep-dive 9-week Fall and Spring cycles, Kings are financially compensated for their time, expertise, and the software they build for the Town.

Through cultural grounding, technical mastery, and intergenerational storytelling, our Kings will develop and deploy functional MVP software solutions designed to patch real-world "bugs" in our neighborhoods.

Our Intergenerational Design Teams

We are bringing together a cohort of 25 Kings across three distinct, paid tracks:

• The Apprentices (Middle School, Ages 12–14): Focused on foundational tech literacy, community observation, and storytelling.

• The Architects (High School, Ages 15–18): The core builders who will design, prompt, and launch the AI solutions.

• The Team Leads (Opportunity Age, 19–25): Paid, staff-adjacent mentors who facilitate the groups and guide their younger brothers.

Whether you are a young King ready to get paid to build for your city, or an industry expert looking to guide the next generation, there is a seat at the table for you.

I Am Because We Are. Choose your path below to get started.