ACF, Bridge Builder
Founded in 2019 by visionary leaders Sawyer Kim and Yoonjung Lera, the Applied Computing Foundation (ACF) bridges curiosity and creation, empowering K-12 students to innovate with technology. We pursued two goals: reach wide through inclusive school programs and camps, and build deep with sustained, hands-on learning in coding, robotics, and entrepreneurship using Lego, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi.
In early 2025, we launched Lettuce.Build to scale our vision, offering year-round online training from beginner coding to advanced game development and teen startup teams. ACF now focuses on reaching wide through school partnerships and dynamic camps, while Lettuce.Build fosters deep skill-building. By encouraging students to explore technology and create solutions, we nurture future leaders, problem solvers, and innovators, echoing Alan Kay’s vision: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
Our Journey
Founded in 2019, we are a Bay Area non-profit dedicated to preparing young minds for the future of technology through hands-on learning, real-world application, and mentorship from industry professionals.
2019
Launched ACF, introducing hands-on robotics and coding programs to spark K-12 innovation using hardwares such as Lego, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi.
2020
Pivoted to online learning during the pandemic, connecting with students worldwide and launching Junior Startup Teams inspired by Teen Startup Team success & SVTTT.
2021
Introduced Future Impact Challenge and Game Impact Challenge, empowering students to create community-focused tech solutions. Community outreach efforts started.
2022
Returned to in-person learning with expanded school programs and summer camps, fostering collaboration through entrepreneurship, robotics and AI projects. Community outreach efforts through inspirogram.
2023
Partnered with schools globally, integrating tech curricula and earning awards at prestigious competitions including World Robot Olympiad and Congressional App Challenge. Central CA STEM education enhancement project kicked off through STEMcrunch team.
2024
Scaled camps and competitions, with students winning “Power Pitch” at Conrad Challenge and reaching Diamond Challenge semi-finals.
2025
Launched Lettuce.Build to “build deep” with year-round online training in coding, game dev, and teen startups, while ACF expanded school programs and camps to “reach wide.”
Central CA STEM education enhancement project is expanding with partnership with Lemoore college and boys and girls club in Fresno.
Democratize tech education by empowering every K-12 student to explore, create, and solve real-world problems through hands-on robotics and AI-powered projects, especially those who feel STEM isn’t for them. We drive a movement to make tech a core part of school curricula, fostering collaboration, community citizenship, and resilience in an AI-driven world.
Mission
A future where tech is for everyone, and every student is a confident innovator, shaping their communities with accessible tools like AI, robotics, and coding. As Alexander Wang says, “vibe coding” unlocks a “huge advantage”. We make that advantage inclusive through engaging projects and teacher support.
Vision
We are working with
