Alternative Education · Advocacy · Opportunity
Rewriting the Code.Reconnecting Students.Building Generational Wealth.
Urban Coders helps over-aged, under-credited youth and their families discover educational pathways, career opportunities, and brighter futures — through advocacy, technology, financial literacy, and mentorship.
“Your zip code does not determine your destiny. Exposure changes everything.”— Martin Smallhorne, Founder
From the Founder
“For over 30 years, I dedicated my life to serving the students too many people overlooked. Today, Urban Coders is expanding that mission nationwide.”
Martin Smallhorne·Founder, Urban Coders · Founding School Leader, Lehman YABC
Who We Help
Four doors. One movement.
What We Do
One connected system, not five separate programs.
Advocacy gets a student back on track. Career development and technology open the doors. Financial literacy keeps them open — for the whole family, for the next generation.
Proof, Not Promises
Outcomes you can put in front of a board.
Donors, grantmakers, and corporate partners invest in measurable results. So that's what we build — and what we report.
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Years in NYC public education
From the classroom to founding school leadership
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Of students graduated
Through Lehman YABC and dropout-recovery programs
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Connected program pillars
Advocacy, careers, technology, finance, Parent University
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Free for families
Every parent resource, guide, and consultation
The Why
Raised by his grandmother in Jamaica. Reunited with his parents at six, in Brownsville.
Martin Smallhorne knows what it means to start over in a system that wasn't built for you. He spent three decades inside New York City public schools proving that the students everyone else counted out could graduate — thousands of them did. Urban Coders is what he built next.
“No student is too far behind.”
Martin Smallhorne · Founder
The Alternative Education Center
“My child is behind. Now what?”
Every parent asks the same question. Almost no one answers it. The Alternative Education Center is a free knowledge hub that walks you through the system one decision at a time — videos, downloadable guides, calculators, and decision trees built from thirty years inside it.
Success Stories
The people who've watched it happen up close.
Martin Smallhorne is more than an educator — he's a visionary leader who has transformed the lives of countless students.
John Powers
Retired NYC High School Principal
Martin Smallhorne stands out. His dedication to youth goes far beyond the classroom.
Dr. Bernard Gassaway
Former NYC Superintendent
Martin leads with empathy and integrity, always putting students first and creating spaces where they can thrive.
Principal Pierre
NYC School Leader
Coming Soon
Video testimonials from students, parents, and employers.
Invest in Opportunity
Don't donate. Invest.
Every level of support maps to a tangible outcome for a real student or family. Pick a number and see exactly what it builds.
$1,000
Technology Access
A laptop and connectivity for a student learning to code, at home.
Corporate Partners
Built to stand next to the biggest names in your portfolio.
The Ecosystem
More than an organization. A platform for the movement.
Need Help?
One form. We'll call you.
No phone trees. No runaround. Tell us where your family is stuck, and someone who has spent thirty years inside the system will call you back with real options.