New video series aims to teach teenagers about coding
CodeNow, a nonprofit focused on teaching underrepresented, diverse high school students how to code, is launching #CodeHow, an online video tutorial series designed specifically for teens and accessible for free on YouTube.
#CodeHow is a series of short concept videos, 3 to 6 minutes in duration, that feature young CodeNow alumni explaining important programming and computer science concepts and ideas — for example, variables, arrays, if/else statements, and other introductory fundamentals. Each of the videos includes the most important aspects students should understand about a concept.
“Today’s online resources are geared towards adults with more advanced knowledge of coding, whereas we work with kids that are just getting their feet wet,” said Ryan Seashore, founder of CodeNow. “So far we’ve been able to reach over 1,000 students through our direct in-person workshops and our newer CodeNow-in-a-Box model. But most programs only occur in major metro areas, which means lots of kids can’t learn about coding just because of location. The video series is accessible by anyone, anywhere – and it’s free.”
The video series was funded in part as a result of a Humble Bundle-Mozilla package announced in October 2014. Humble Bundle partners with companies to produce games and related content, and donates a portion of the proceeds to charities and nonprofits. Through this particular partnership, gamers were able to choose where their dollars went, and CodeNow was one of the recipients. “We are very proud that the Humble Bundle community has been able to help CodeNow make coding more accessible for underrepresented students everywhere,” said John Graham, Co-Founder / COO of Humble Bundle.
CodeNow currently provides hands-on workshops and training in four major metropolitan areas: New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Miami. CodeNow’s overall curriculum has been developed over the last four years and most recently incorporated Apple’s new language, Swift, into its core lessons.
“Our mission at CodeNow is to empower youth through coding,” said Seashore. “We are constantly experimenting with different ways to reach them and connect with them. #CodeHow brings our curriculum to more students than ever.”
#CodeHow videos are available on CodeNow’s YouTube channel.
Three ways CodeNow helps teens learn to code include:
• CodeNow-in-a-Box – A program was developed through participation in Y Combinator. It is a complimentary program that seeks to provide technology companies with the tools to host their own trainings. CodeNow works with employees at the corporations to teach them the curriculum that they then teach students. Trainings are hosted at corporate sponsor facilities. Current partners are Adobe, Bloomberg, and Infor.
• CodeNow Workshops – Held on weekends and school holidays in New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Miami, these are the core of CodeNow’s program. Volunteer teachers from our national network offer their time and knowledge to teach teenagers from underrepresented schools the basics of coding in a hands-on environment.
• #CodeHow – A series of short concept videos taught by students, for students. Each video provides cumulative knowledge about coding concepts, including variables, arrays, and if/then statements.
Material from a press release was used in this report.
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