Grammy Award-winning artist, will.i.am is a producer, director, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is also passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math. He has set out to empower students because he wants to get kids from his neighborhood on the path that’s “about radical change to inspire them” to explore STEM subjects.

In 2009, will.i.am founded a college scholarship program, called i.am.angel “to help students with college scholarships, financial literacy, and college prep.” The program will.i.am describes as one that provides students with a skill set so they so they’re not looking for jobs, but creating jobs when they graduate. Will.i.am encourages students to “crack the code,” that is the code of language. He says,  “Reading and writing code changes the world.”