Exclusive: Teen Tech Genius Jay Jay Patton and her father Antoine talk Generation Impact: The Coder
Currently playing on HP’s digital hub, the Garage, and on YouTube is GENERATION IMPACT, a new short-film series from the Garage by HP, spotlights young entrepreneurs using technology to break barriers and positively impact their communities. Motivated by the problems and issues they see in the world, these inspiring minds mesh together a love of science and technology with a dedication to helping others.
The first film in the series, GENERATION IMPACT: THE CODER, follows Jay’Aina “Jay Jay” Patton (age 16) and her father Antoine, who together founded Unlock Academy, an in-person and online coding school that mentors young people interested in STEM careers. Jay Jay’s goal is to personally bring 10,000 women of color into the technology field.
Photo credit: Dos Coco Locos Productions
Prior to starting Unlock Academy, at age 13 Jay Jay designed and built Photo Patch, a mobile app that helps children send photos and letters to incarcerated parents for free, inspired by her own family’s experience. Antoine had spent seven years in prison and while there, used his time to learn coding. That’s what inspired Jay Jay to pick up the trade. To date, the app has been used to send over 600,000 letters and photos to loved ones, at no cost.
The film is directed by documentary filmmaker Samantha Knowles, whose credits include Tangled Roots,The Blue Line, and the award-winning short documentary Why Do You Have Black Dolls?. The film was Executive Produced by Emmy-winner and Oscar nominee Steven Cantor and Stick Figure Productions.
BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales recently spoke with father and daughter to discuss their achievements and what’s next in their lives.