We were on eyewitness news!

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Teenager Jack Segil spent many of his nights this summer making turkey and cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for other kids.

But the children who are eating the lunches are doing much more than attending a typical summer camp-and Se-gil is doing more than providing them a mid-day meal.

They're spending two weeks learning how to code for free through Segil's Code to Grow, a program the 17-year-old Manhattan Beach resident started three years ago to send students ages 8 to 14 to Planet Bravo summer STEM camp.

Manhattan Beach teen Jack Segil has a goal of transforming the tech landscape for underprivileged kids in Los Angeles through his nonprofit, The Code to Grow Foundation.

Segil, a passionate 17-year-old coder who spent his summers at the PlanetBravo coding camp at Manhattan Beach Middle School (MBMS), was struck by the lack of diversity in his classes. This realization sparked a determination in him to make coding accessible to kids from all backgrounds.

In a world increasingly shaped by technology, the ability to code is not just a skill; it’s a gateway to opportunity, creativity and empowerment. Yet for many young minds in underserved communities, this gateway remains locked behind barriers of access and privilege. 

Code to Grow Foundation (CTG) offers a beacon of light, illuminating the path toward equitable coding education. The genesis of this incredible organization stems from a local 16-year-old visionary and Chadwick student, Jack Segil.

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — When Karen Williams signed up her adopted 11-year-old son for a weeklong coding camp last summer, she cautiously warned the organizers.

"I told them, 'It might go good, or it could go really bad,'" said Williams to Spectrum News. "He comes from a broken home and has experienced a lot of trauma."

The organizers reassured her that they would take care of Wesley.

"Let's give it a try," they said.

A Manhattan Beach teenager has raised $250,000 and launched a non profit that allows children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to learn computer coding.

Jack Segil, who will be a senior at Chadwick High School next year, had been coding since his early childhood. He became passionate about it at PlanetBravo, a summer coding camp for kids.

"I really got into coding in 4th grade" Segil said. "I went to Plant Bravo and learned more about coding through the internet"

Jack Segil, 17, a student at Chadwick High School in Palos Verdes, enjoyed his time at Planet Bravo — a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)-focused summer program — so much that he decided to help underprivileged kids get the same experience he did. This summer, his charity is sending 40 children to coding camps all over Los Angeles.

Jack Segil, '25 was featured in South Bay Magazine for his impressive work establishing his foundation, "Code To Grow". The foundation provides year-long coding and mentorship opportunities to students from underserved communities, raising over $250,000 and sending young people to coding camp.

Jack Segil was given a certificate recognizing his work with Code To Grow by the mayor of Manhattan Beach!