Code School // Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne students ages 7–18 learn the power of coding by programming their own projects, games, platforms, and websites! 🚀
South Bend Code School and Start Fort Wayne have been providing quality tech education for youth in Fort Wayne for the past 2 years. Recognizing the need for programs to guide the next generation of innovators in the region, Start Fort Wayne partnered with South Bend Code School to bring their program to the downtown co-working space. Together, SBCS and Start Fort Wayne are training students to build software and services to impact their communities and the world.
Code School instructor, Jon, shares his thoughts on the Fort Wayne based coding program.
How did you get into education?
I’ve always been a technical person. My educational background is in English education. I’ve been very immersed in Liberal Arts. But technology has always been a part of my life, from the first computer that came into our house in 1987. It was a PC Junior. From then on, I loved learning and playing with computers.
How did you get involved with the Fort Wayne coding program?
I was involved with SB Code School // Fort Wayne’s non-profit partner, Start Fort Wayne. Start Fort Wayne is dedicated to helping build a lasting community and culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in northeast Indiana, with a particular focus on space and education. We knew that we wanted to be a part of growing tech talent in the area and wanted to partner with individuals who had experience in tech education. We connected with Alex and Alex, two of the three founders of South Bend Code School. From the first meeting, we already knew that the program that they were building in South Bend was something that we wanted here in Fort Wayne. This is when the relationship started and we introduced the program to the community in the Fall of 2017.
Anytime you get kids into a room who are excited about video games, and you can transition them into making video games is brilliant! It’s something they enjoy, and it’s great to see them learn the practical applications as well as have fun doing it!
What impact do you see this program having in Fort Wayne, long term?
I see there being a positive impact on the world of entrepreneurship. The response from the entrepreneurial community has been really great. One of those is the Atrium, a co-working space run by Start Fort Wayne. At Atrium, there are many tech entrepreneurs building companies. They’re excited that kids are learning real skills and building real products. Those kids will bring those skills with them into the workforce and into the community of computer science and higher education. There’s real change happening here.
It’s far different to make games vs. play them, and having the kids wrap their minds around that and giving them the skills to do so is incredibly rewarding!
What about the kids who don’t want to go into tech when they get older?
Coding is a valuable skill no matter what professional or educational path any of our students want to pursue. Throughout the years, computers have become more and more a part of our lives, just like how the internet or phone infiltrated our lives as a way to communicate. Not only is understanding tech an important skill to have today but it also teaches other important skills that extend across multiple disciplines.
Being curious and problem solving are two important skills that our participants really grow in. I like to encourage my students to be curious and try different types of tech. It’s the best way that they can grow into thinking, learning adults — by growing through play.
The world around us is rapidly changing. Curiosity is a necessary skill and I’m so excited to be a part of a program that teaches that to students.
To learn more about our coding classes in Fort Wayne, visit https://www.sbcsfortwayne.com/.
