CodeNow 2.0 Explained
CodeNow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit transforming high school students into coders, designers, and product managers by teaching them to solve meaningful problems in their communities with software.
CodeNow: The Origin Story
CodeNow started with one goal in mind: to provide access to computer programming for students who do not have access to these learning opportunities.
Since 2011, CodeNow has taught high school students the fundamentals of computer programming through 3-day weekend workshops. As the “Learn to Code” movement continued to grow, so did we!
To date, CodeNow has taught over 2,000 underrepresented high school students how to code and engaged over 500 volunteers for a total of nearly 13,000 volunteering hours.
We have — and continue — to see great outcomes from our students. Our students have started coding clubs, interned at large tech companies, and some have even graduated from college with job offers from Fortune 500 companies!
New Curriculum. New Program
More Than Coding
Coding is a very important skill but we understand that there is no “one size fits all” model when it comes to learning. That is why we structured our curriculum with a wide range of topics in mind.
Throughout our program, students will be able to uncover their passion for design, product development, and entrepreneurship while learning the fundamentals of both front end and back end programming (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby on Rails).
More Than a Workshop
In 2017, CodeNow launched a new four phase program model that educates students in through in-person and online learning experiences. The program also includes long-term, periodic engagement of students with mentors.
The four phases of the new program are:
- Weekend Workshops: 4 days (30 hours) of in-person instruction where you’ll learn how to go from an idea to a full-fledged, functional web application.
- R&D Phase: Unlimited access to 60+ hours of self-paced, online learning and our Workforce Readiness program which includes in-person meetups and mentorship at partner tech companies. Students will have opportunities to discover different roles within the tech industry.
- HackNow Hackathons: 1–2 days (20 hours) of team building, in-person support, mentorship, awards and prizes for competing amongst peers to build and launch a civic solution web application within 48 hours.
- Summer Competition: 8–12 week (100 hours) national competition where teams of students will create solutions, utilizing product development, entrepreneurship, and advanced software engineering techniques, to solve real problems affecting their lives and communities.
Introducing the CodeNow Scholarship & Tuition Model
We put a lot of work into designing our curriculum — and in return, we hope that our students put forth an honest effort towards completing the program. This new program experience is not only above and beyond what we have offered in the past, it puts CodeNow as one of the best tech experiences for high school students in the country.
In order to provide the highest level of service to high school students, the program is transitioning to a tuition model. Our four-level in-person & online program is valued well over $2,000. However, the introductory tuition will be a discounted price of $1,000. This fee covers the 4-day weekend workshop, online tutorials, quarterly hackathons, and the Summer App Challenge.
Bonus: If you’re an underclassmen, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in the CodeNow program throughout your high school career. That means you have the opportunity to complete as many online tutorials, hackathons, and summer app challenges as you can before graduating high school!
What if my family can’t afford to pay $1,000 for CodeNow?
CodeNow is committed to serving high school students from a variety of backgrounds, neighborhoods, and socioeconomic statuses. We understand the financial burden that families face when it comes to ensuring a quality education. Our fundraising efforts have provided free education for over 2,000 students since 2011, and we will continue to provide low-cost education for students in financial need and from low-income backgrounds.
If you qualify for financial aid, the cost of the program can be as low as $50. That’s $50 for the entire program! We award scholarships based on demonstrated financial need. You can learn more about CodeNow scholarship eligibility here.
Next Steps: How you can get involved with CodeNow
If you are a high school student…
Consider joining the CodeNow community by attending the new CodeNow program. Click this link to apply for our upcoming Fall 2017 workshops!
Volunteer with us
Make an impact and share your passion with high school students who are exploring career opportunities within the tech industry. Learn more about what it’s like to volunteer with CodeNow as an instructor.
Share with your local community
Are you a teacher, administrator, or a community leader that works with high school students? If so, join our community as an advocate and help support our mission to teach students how to solve meaningful problems through software development. Download our flyer and share it with your community.
If your company is seeking ways to get involved with the community…
Consider partnering with us! You can sponsor a cohort of CodeNow students or host a workshop or hackathon at your company HQ! Contact us at hello@codenow.org to learn more.
