Future Code NYC x Codesmith is a 42-week, no-cost program designed to transform New Yorkers into full-stack engineers ready to lead in the modern tech landscape. Delivered in partnership with NYC Tech Talent Pipeline, Workforce Development Corporation, and the NYC Department of Small Business Services, this program combines expert-led curriculum, project-building experience, and career development to empower aspiring technologists from underrepresented communities.
At the heart of Future Code is a commitment to inclusivity and opportunity. By fostering a collaborative, supportive environment, we cultivate a diverse community of technologists equipped to solve society’s most pressing challenges — from their first line of code to their impact as architects of the future.
What you'll learn:
What you'll learn:
What you’ll build:
What you'll learn:
What you’ll build:
Interactive Web App (Solo)
By building an application from idea to functioning MVP (minimum viable product), you’ll reinforce your knowledge of the core curriculum and gain confidence in how much you’ve learned!
Interactive Web App (Collaborative)
Working in groups, you’ll mentor each other in a professional team engineering setting and deepen your applied understanding of core web development technologies. You’ll also learn best practices for collaborative engineering, including Scrum, Agile, and Git workflows.
Ideation
With your team, you’ll explore some of the most complex and important technologies in use today. Through your research, you’ll identify a technically challenging problem to solve over the course of six weeks. With feedback and guidance, you’ll refine your proposed project and timeline.
Development
This is the largest and most sophisticated project you’ll build during the program. You’ll sharpen your critical thinking, build your problem-solving skills, and develop your autonomy as a developer. The combination of on-the-job training and a supportive environment provides a unique experience that helps you stand out in your job search.
Launch
Deploying your application and sharing it with the world is an opportunity to celebrate all your hard work! It also offers a chance to reflect on the full software development lifecycle and grow as a collaborative engineer.
What you'll learn:
• Embeddings & prompting heuristics
• Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) & fine-tuning
What you'll build:
An AI-powered application, selecting and integrating an appropriate model, optimizing performance through fine-tuning or RAG, and implementing evaluation strategies to ensure reliability.
What you'll learn:
• System design
• How to whiteboard effectively
Residents take a high-level view of pulling tools together to build a resilient, scalable system, preparing them for system design interview questions and the challenges of maintaining applications at scale.
What you'll learn:
• Design patterns
• MLOps
• Frontend optimization
What you'll learn:
Full-stack best practices to reinforcing core curriculum knowledge in front-end, back-end, databases, and system architecture.
What you'll build:
A final full-stack application that solidifies technical skills and acts as an additional portfolio piece.
Our career support prepares students for every step of their job search.
During the program, students receive training on professional development and general job readiness. Weeks 38 to 42 of the program fully focus on the job search, and career support continues through graduation and beyond.
Our career support team will help you build a resume and job site profiles to best highlight your technical skills.
Industry experts prepare you for each step of the interview and hiring process—from phone screens to salary negotiations.
After graduation, receive lifelong career support, including check-ins, workshops, and access to our alum network for every career stage.
Future Code x Codesmith is a fully-funded program that aims to diversify tech in New York City. The program is no-cost for students.
To be considered for the program, you must meet the requirements below.
We highly encourage people from Black, Latine, & Indigenous backgrounds and people with foster care or juvenile justice experience to apply.
What if I don't meet the requirements?
You might be a great fit for our Software Engineering +AI/ML Immersive—read more here!
Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements for the program. You can check the list above to see if you do.
If you meet the eligibility requirements above, submit an application.
This introductory module covers basic concepts using simple explanations & practice to help you prep for the Coding Challenge.
Pair program with a mentor to showcase technical communication, problem-solving, & coding fundamentals—we’ll help you prep.
Speak to our team about your goals, showcase motivation & thoughtful communication.
We will call you to deliver your interview results, personalized feedback, and next steps.
Our team members are central to your experience as a student. They’ll lead your core lectures, help you review, plan social events, and drive your growth throughout the program.
Lead Engineering Instructor
Admissions & Outcomes Project Manager
Operations & Community Senior Coordinator
Engineering Mentor
Explore these comprehensive resources to start your programming journey with confidence and get you ready for acing your admission into the next Future Code cohort.
Start learning programming fundamentals with CSX, our free platform.
Join weekly workshops to explore beginner coding concepts and practice technical communication with a diverse community.
Ready to practice? Work through challenges one-on-one with a partner and build your technical communication skills at one of our weekly sessions.
Future Code is designed to be no-cost to make transitioning careers to software engineering more accessible, however, we know everyone has unique circumstances. We have a minimum 90% attendance requirement and students must be available during the program's hours. As it is a full-time schedule, working outside of those hours may be unsustainable. Working during the program is permitted, but we encourage residents to really think about the best decision for their success and health.
In order to make long-term career training more accessible, the Tech Talent Pipeline and the Department of Small Business Services will be providing a living stipend during training to eligible participants. Eligibility for the stipend can be discussed with the team during the admissions process.
The July 14 2025 start date is the second Future Code X Codesmith cohort we've offered. We hope to continue to launch more cohorts in the future. If this cohort's dates don't work for you, please submit this interest form. Once we have more to announce, we will share with the community.
You can still submit an application for Future Code NYC x Codesmith here and talk with our admissions team more about your specific circumstance.
Yes! If you don't have access to a computer, the Future Code team will work with you through the admissions process to adapt for your circumstances. For the program itself, we can also provide laptops for folks who need them. We don't want equipment to be a barrier of entry. If you are in need of other equipment, we are happy to chat and will try our best to support you in what you need to be successful in the program.
Future Code is specifically for New York City residents who meet certain requirements regarding previous work and education experience and income. If you don’t meet these requirements, you might be a great candidate for our Software Engineering +AI/ML Immersive Program (available in both full and part time).
There are multiple checks regarding eligibility: in the application, during the phone interview, and after acceptance.
In the first checks we ask for written and verbal confirmation applicants meet requirements. For those who are accepted to enroll, the City of New York will be requiring eligibility documentation to finalize enrollment. Failure to do so by the due date would mean they lose their spot.
The Future Code x Codesmith program is specifically designed for current residents of New York City (within the five boroughs) to ensure it serves the local community. If you’re not an NYC resident, you would not be eligible for this particular program.
That said, we’d love to support your journey into tech! You might be a great fit for our Software Engineering +AI/ML Immersive Program.
The Future Code x Codesmith program is fully funded and designed for NYC residents, focusing on introducing underrepresented communities to software engineering fundamentals. It has eligibility requirements like income limits and no prior coding experience.
The Software Engineering +AI/ML Immersive Program is tuition-based, open to participants from all over the world, and offers an advanced curriculum for those seeking careers in software engineering and AI/ML. It’s ideal for individuals ready to gain expertise in full-stack development.
Each program serves different goals—let us know if you’d like help deciding which is the right fit for you!