#461 Code Your Dreams

Code Your Dreams is a Chicago-based nonprofit that empowers students from underserved communities to engage in different areas of technology fields, and apply their newfound knowledge to creating community engagement projects. The program focuses on teaching important fundamentals of technology development, providing career pathways in technology, and honing in on important life skills like perseverance, project management, communication in the workplace, and many more. In terms of the curriculum, Code Your Dreams is designed to help students solve real-world problems in collaboration with their peers, community members and teachers. The curriculum is scaffolded so that students learn concepts that help them continue to build their own applications that solve a problem that they identify early in the program. The application that each student builds is personal for them; we believe that this student-centered approach leads to exceptional student success in learning outcomes.

During this talk, we begin by discussing the state of K-12 computer science education as the background for the origin story of Code Your Dreams. Then, we will discuss core teaching and learning principles, pedagogies and tools utilized at Code Your Dreams, and how each leads to exceptional student outcomes. Along the way, you will see and hear student examples for how they’re building technology to lift up their communities. Finally, we will discuss how you can get involved and make a difference for our future technology leaders and disruptors.

ASL This event will not have an American Sign Language interpreter.