The Curly Code is a natural-hair community that teaches Black girls ages 16-24 about beauty, encouraging them to love and care for their hair and skin.
We encourage students to become educated consumers.
Our entire college access and career development programming is student-centered and primarily student-led. College is the first major purchase a student is going to make in their adult life. We teach students to approach college admissions like a business transaction—accessing not just the cost of attendance but the long term value of a degree from any particular school.
The Curly Code student leaders are attending some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S. including:
Emory, Bates, Smith, Lafayette, Franklin & Marshall, and Lehigh.
HOW WE DO IT
Curly Curriculum
Teaching essential maintenance and styling to equip them to properly care for their natural hair.
College Curriculum
Approaching college admissions as a business transaction switching the mindset of college being the next step to the most significant investment of time and money, they will make and strategically and consistently working towards a return on their investment.
Career Curriculum
Taking a strategic approach to career exploration to match their interests and build on their skills rather than an end to a means. We encourage them to be lifelong learners, constantly growing, studying, and exploring.
WHY IT WORKS
Despite attending or working at predominantly white institutions, our participants confidently enter these spaces because they have a “Curly Community” they can lean on, vent to, and glean support from. Although they may be the only Black girl in that space, they can be successful because they have a community of Black girls who love and support them and are constantly rooting for them.
This work is ongoing, and we have chosen to lead the mission to make spaces inclusive for Black women while also curating that space for younger Black girls. When a girl engages with the Curly Code, she leaves empowered to wear her natural hair and be herself - her whole self - in all spaces.
This is not just about Black girls loving their hair; it’s about them loving themselves, seeing positive representations of Black beauty and excellence, and creating their own “Curly Community” that nurtures and supports their growth. We provide a safe space for Black girls to be… Black girls.
RESULTS
89% of Camp Curly Code participants’ GPAs increased by 21%.
The most recent cohort of 11th graders to participate in The Curly Code SAT prep program averaged 1100 on their first SAT
93% of participants of The Curly Code SAT prep program Super Scored an average of 250 points
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“The Curly Code has fostered a college-going culture that has impacted the level of academic investment we’ve seen in our students…”
— Fredrick Salyers, Dean of College
Achievement First Brooklyn High School
“I went from having a 2.75 GPA in 9th grade to a 3.2 in 10th grade. Even though COVID made it hard to do extracurriculars I still managed to find a summer program at Quinnipiac and received a scholarship to go for free. Camp Curly Code made me look at college differently and my college options are way better than they were in 9th grade.”
— Camp Curly Code 2019 Alum