Abstract: To promote interest in computer science (CS) among minority high school students from low-income families, we offered a one-month Summer Academy followed by a semester-long online group project. A group of 31 minority students from Alabama’s Black Belt areas participated in the program. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, we examined factors affecting students’ motivation for learning CS. Second, we explored the program’s impact on student's future interest in learning CS. We conducted an individual Zoom interview with all participants, and they were also invited to complete a pre-and post-survey. We also observed classroom teaching during the Summer Academy and facilitated online Zoom meetings in the fall semester on a monthly basis. The findings revealed that early exposure to CS and family encouragement motivated students to explore the field of CS. Students found MIT App Inventor learning, meeting with guest speakers, and group projects most valuable, which positively affected students’ motivation to continue to learn CS.