14 Middle School Students Participate In Virtual Coding Camp
This past August, 14 of our middle school students had the opportunity to attend a virtual coding camp through iD Tech, exploring a range of topics in technology and computer science. Students participated in one of four camps: Make A YouTube Channel: Animations and Digital Shorts, Make A YouTube Channel: Streaming and Gamecasting, Minecraft Modding with Java Coding, and Roblox Game Design: Coding and Monetization.
During the intensive, week-long virtual coding camp, students received 10 hours of direct instruction via video conferencing, plus 10 hours of self-paced project development, exploring topics like animation, game design, and video editing. Each cohort was no bigger than five students, allowing for personalized learning and 1:1 interaction with instructors.
“I got to use a very professional video editor,” says 6th-grade participant Daniel Lee. “It’s kind of complex. I had a video editor on my phone and it’s kind of easy to make videos on that, but with Adobe Premiere Pro, it may take a little long to get used to editing with that kind of software.”
With the continued underrepresentation of Black and Latinx communities in professional STEM fields, the goal of the program was to expose students to a broader range of career options and encourage a love of science, technology, engineering, and math.
“I really want to be a nurse,” says 6th-grade student Jazmine Cuc. “What got me interested in that was that you would have to be hardworking and that you’d be a healer and help lots of people.”
We are so proud of all 14 students who participated in the coding camp and created such impressive final products, including fully edited Youtube videos and successful modifications of popular games like Minecraft and Roblox.
The experience was made possible by a generous $5,000 grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company to support increased STEM (science, engineering, technology, and math) programming at the school. Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. The company aims to open young minds to the exciting possibilities of science and technology, and has a history of supporting STEM education initiatives throughout the country.
We express our deepest gratitude to Bristol Myers Squibb for their support. Thank you for believing in our students and providing them with such an amazing opportunity to grow as young leaders of tomorrow.
Krystal Cohen is a member of the Advancement team at Foundation Academies where she aids with fundraising and community outreach efforts. Krystal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Princeton University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Affairs.