CodePath, a nonprofit that provides computer-science programs and career support for students in South Florida and across the country, announced that the organization has been selected as Anthropic’s anchor partner for economic mobility in the AI era. As part of its partnership, CodePath is integrating Claude products into all of its AI courses.
Anthropic’s Beneficial Deployments strategy focuses on magnifying and measuring the impact their technology can have for social good, shared CodePath CEO Michael Ellison in his news announcement. “This partnership will dramatically accelerate our work in applied AI education at scale, and it comes at a critical moment.”
A 2025 PwC study of 1 billion global jobs found a 56% wage premium for AI skills. Low-income and first-generation students, including those at HBCUs, HSIs, community colleges, and public universities, cannot afford to be left behind, Ellison said. CodePath is on a mission to reprogram higher education to create the first AI-native generation of engineers, CTOs, and founders.
Starting this year, CodePath is integrating Claude and Claude Code into its new Applied AI pathway courses, where students will build and collaborate in AI-driven engineering environments using the same tools employers increasingly expect new hires to master. In a CodePath survey released in December, employers said they want to see internship experience, strong technical interview performance, and side projects or portfolios, and these new courses deliver all of that, Ellison said.
“AI has the potential to compress four years of learning into two, but acceleration without additional support just widens existing gaps. Byintegrating Claude into our curriculum from the start, the students we serve gain the same AI-building experience as their peers at elite schools. This is about fundamentally shifting who gets to participate in building the AI economy,” said Ellison, who moved to the Miami area in 2021.
Michael Ellison, founder and CEO of CodePath.
CodePath’s work with university partners in Miami and across South Florida started at Florida International University, thanks to one student asking for the then-non-credit courses to be available at his campus. Ellison calls FIU a true pioneer of CodePath’s free programming, and CodePath has since expanded to Florida Atlantic University, Miami Dade College and Florida Memorial University.
Since 2021, the program has grown from offering just one for-credit course at local institutions to 15 courses this year, and more than 2,700 students in the region have completed CodePath programs, said Victoria Angulo Springer, CodePath’s Director of Partnership Success.
Like CodePath’s programs nationally, the majority of CodePath students in South Florida are first-generation college students (61 percent). In South Florida, 55 percent are Pell Grant recipients and 52 percent come from low-income backgrounds.
Nationwide, CodePath alumni generate $1 billion in economic impact through their first-year salaries alone, with South Florida graduates contributing $150 million to $200 million annually. Today, average starting salaries for South Florida CodePath graduates range from $95,000 to $110,000.
“Graduates of our programs have secured full-time tech roles at leading companies in the region including UKG, American Express, Royal Caribbean, and AWS,” said Angulo Springer, who is based in South Florida. “They stay local, buy homes, launch businesses, and mentor the next generation. They’re not just joining South Florida’s tech economy — they’re building it,” Angulo Springer said.
CodePath has developed three new for-credit courses that are already available or coming soon to South Florida campuses:
Foundations of AI Engineering equips students to code, build, and collaborate in the AI-powered environments shaping today’s tech industry. It will integrate Claude and Claude Code. Over 120 students in South Florida are already enrolled in this spring course.
Applications of AI Engineering teaches students to leverage AI to understand and work within large-scale production systems.
Advanced AI Open-Source Capstone facilitates student contributions to real AI-powered open-source projects and real world business problems, using Claude Code to support hands-on experience.
“South Florida students are hungry for AI tools that will keep them ahead in this new era,” said Angulo Springer. “We’re equipping both students and institutions with best-in-class curriculum and tools like Claude Code to ensure they remain competitive in an AI-driven economy.”
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I am a writer and editor with extensive media experience and a passion for journalism and serving the community. Most of my career has been spent with the Miami Herald in business news, and my expertise is writing about tech and entrepreneurs. I love hosting this blog for Refresh Miami and we aim to be the go-to site for South Florida startup and tech news, features and views. Have news? Contact me at [email protected]. Thanks for reading! Latest posts by Nancy Dahlberg (see all)