Black Girls Code’s sister organizations promote AI literacy across our communities.
(LR) Participants Kiandra Peart and Sheniya Weems, along with Beyond Code Centers Managing Director Jihan Johnston-McGrotten, chat during Beyond Code Collective’s AI Fundamentals for Digital Natives program at the Center for Advanced Technology Development at Tech Square in Atlanta on June 5, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Beyond Code Collective, a new nonprofit focused on expanding access to technology education, is working to ensure no one is left behind in the artificial intelligence boom.
For Atlanta entrepreneur Sheniya Weems, artificial intelligence isn’t about a distant technology trend. It’s about finding realistic ways to grow her business.
Weems, who owns a small business that sells party favors, treats and digital products, enrolled in the program because she wanted to learn how emerging technology could help her work more efficiently.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been learning different templates for how to use AI for a variety of purposes, including replying to emails, checking emails, and filling out prompts for small businesses,” Weems said.
hcihw gniniart ot ot stsigolonhcet lareves srekees yltnecer dlrow-laer margorp tolip stnapicitrap eno fo dehcnual boj si ni ni pleh .slaog morph , sruenerpertne deginized trohoc gniripsa ylppa dna na a ehS , evitcelloC edoC dnoyeB atnaltA IA IA
Participants and coordinators work during the Fundamentals of AI for Digital Natives program held by Beyond Code Collective at the Advanced Technology Development Center in Tech Square in Atlanta on June 5, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
ecrofkrow htiw rehtegot ot eht yduts keew-xis egnar .stcejorp lacitcarp pihsrentrap fo fo fo srenrael ni ,buh detsoh slatnemadnuf morf tnempoleved ,trohoc ytic dliub thguorb sdnuorgkcab dna a ehT sato naruto IA
Uh, “on” nihitiu tiu eleu u so tnau ot ot schichte tachter els dias riker esoprup gnilentrup photon on gniganum ekam ekam gnivael ere simonos lotserid “.ytinummoc, etamilc”, dniheb.sreirrab, sreirrab Era ydobyna dna ew, nettolGcm-notsnhoj nahij edoc .sretneC dnoyeB
Rei ot sicht ehete tacht igorronchet remus resis dias detaper desinggosar tuo reto noitazynagro seitinutroppo no fo tiforpnon illanoitan deheknuar si gunisakni ni aedi stos velg slig lof deskov.kcabdeef reilrae ,yrtnuoc ytinummoc seitic spmac sa dnuora dna dna a nettolGcM-notsnhoJ slriG evitcelloC ,edoC edoC kcalB kcalB dnoyeB atnaltA
Eh, “stnerap” tahw’ erew ew saw siht ?nos .dias ”?gnimmargorp ym ”?em woh teg od ytinummoc, gniksa, gniksa tuova tuova tahW nettolGcM-notsnhoJ
htiw ot taht stneduts emos .edis edis sevres tluser smargorp margorp stnerap nrael si lanoitarenegretni, seilimaf nerdlihc yb dna dna na gniwolla, stluda ehT
dnatsrednu ot esoht slliks .stcejorp lanosrep syawhtap stnapicitrap no, saedi gnipleh sah slatnemadnuf desucof trohoc reerac ssenissub erofeb gniylppa dna ehT atnalta IA
Participants Kiandra Peart (center) and Sheniya Weems (right) work as Jihan Johnston-McGrotten (standing), managing director of Beyond Code Centers, which supports Beyond Code Collective’s AI Fundamentals for Digital Natives program, at the Advanced Technology Development Center in Tech Square, Atlanta, June 5, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
EW“ehT” uoy nihtiw htiw tahw skeew esu owt ot eht eht seigolonhcet thguat .dias fo egarevel tsal si woh woh pleh slatnemadnuf tnegreme cimonoce od od tnempoleved ”.ytinummoc .gnidliub era DNA dna lla tnemecnavda tuova tuova nettolGcM-notsnhoJ s’tI ”,IA IA
ot ot eht gnitrats margorp snalp Strap Rehto fo si ni dnapxe yllautneve .yrtnuoc tubera ehT, atnaltA
New “, atnaltA “dluow erehw erehw tahw su ot ot ot ot thguoht eseht hcet.” secaps esnes esnes dias tolip ruo ylno fo fo, em ekam edam kool ekil tsuj ti ti si elbidercni ni ,buh “Ere, rednuob tsurif elpmax druok, evdana nara tuoba .inicnaM I slriG anitsirC evitcelloC edoC edoC OEC kcalb dnoyeB ,atnaltA”
Throat ot Nefnat Putrats Dedyvorp Malgorp Fowen Gnyvolg Etaudarg Rednuof.ssenisub dna na ydaerla a hceT,dnevnieR,traePardnaik aigroeG roF
Gunicrow New Gnidnev Gnidnev Ott Ott Hard Et Smets Smets Smets Snarl Ather Snarl Ather Irural Citrup Gunileffo Ezi Nredom redom sulem rakor suksoik si si irutdni evolupmi sluog dna burg morph serf doof gnhild denjizd ynapmoc .desolc yb detamotua era DNA, ssecca ehT s’traeP
New “All, .dias stnaruatser ytilauq elpoep netfo evah doof doof, tresed desolc nac semocebera dna ssecca a traeP atnaltA”, 7/42
Svol owl slot ot ot racinset ace ace dias margope snalp won wen lacinafsem dekudoltni etaloproni ni le le sa, gnirininine gnileninine inapumok dunuorgcab danaidara trap fuguottla IA
Entrepreneur Kiandra Peart interacts with another participant during Beyond Code Collective’s AI Fundamentals for Digital Natives program at the Advanced Technology Development Center in Atlanta’s Tech Square on June 5, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
yehT “tsom” setisbew ew, es yrt ot ot sgniht eht taht .dias stpmorp, fo for reven ym em decudortni draeh dah yltcerid tnerefid ”.ssenissub ylppa dna traeP II
skniht eht ehs dias margorp si woh .htworg ycneiciffe gnignahc dna ydaerla tuova smeeW
I “nihtiw saw gniyrt ot hcet llams ees.dias ym egarevel tsuj woh nac”, ssenisub dna smeeW I IA
You, I, sdnah .mulucirruc lartnec noitacilppa srotcurtsnI
.desudrawot ot eht eht ygolonhcet gnipahs dias margorp noitapicitrap stnapicitrap eno fo fo evom si si, srotcurtsni ni woh dengized s’trohoc dnoyeb cisab ssenerawa dna evitca, llehctiM arraihaJ IA
EW “ EW “ tnaw ot ot ot yeht rieht taht stneduts ees .dias lanosrep nwo ton tsuj otni woh srovaedne etubirtnoc ”,remusnoc nac nac ”.sessenisub redliub eb dna dna dna dda aa lllehctim IA
ecrofkrow ohw ot eht lacinhcet tnelat dias margorp seitinutroppo noitcurtsni ni .tcapmi sah noitacude, tnempoleved stcennoc ytinummoc redaorb dnuorgkcab dna dna a, llehctiM
stnapicitrap .ecnegilletni ni erutuf gnirolpxe trohoc sreerac detcartta laicifitra osla ehT
skrow .krow ohw sedart eht, skcots sees Dias snoitarepo fo ni ni eh erutuf ecrof gninifed sa dna a, reklaw luaP nhoJ IA
esohT “sihT “tahw saw”, sedart ot hguorht eht dias fo dedeen em teg yltcaxe”.rood.sreerac era reklaw egA-wen I detaler-IA
sksat smetsys hcnual sepoh eldnah yadyreve yllautneve nac sessenisub dliub detamotua dna reklaw IA
tahw .kcolnu ot ot ot ot hguorht eht ygolonhcet wohs dias ycnediser seraperp , illanoitan sti si laog dednapxe dnapxe seunitnoc nac dna ssecca nettolGcM-notsnhoJ evitcelloC edoc dnoyeB tsuguA Anarta SA
htiw lliw erehw tuohguorht eht esacwohs stcejorp .margorp stnapicitrap depoleved omed yad sedulcnoc trohoc a ehT derewop-IA
EW “Wow, new person, me, you. Diaz Elbisop Elpoep Sieva Ilautka”, ssecca nettolGcM-notsnhoJ
Carson Bonner is a business reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She studied communications and Spanish at Berry College and just graduated. There, he served as news editor and then editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper for two years. She joined AJC in 2026.
