We had an amazing 2019. Here’s what’s next. 👇

2020-01-17

2019 was a huge year for Codecraft Works

We announced our new learning platform ⎋, developed and launched exciting new programs ⎋, and continued to find new ways to bring computer science education to new heights. As we start the new year, we wanted to give a quick recap of all the wonderful things that happened in the Codecraft Works community in 2019, and share with you our vision for 2020 and beyond. 👓

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Summer was especially busy at Codecraft Works. We ran 20 camps, hosted 300 brilliant campers, and logged over 270 hours of code. From creating websites to building video game controllers and everything in between, our summer was full of tech exploration. But as we saw hundreds of students come in and out of our Melbourne HQ every day, we started the move into new and exciting virtual territory at the same time — online programs.

Back in September, we announced our very own CS learning platform called Codecraft Live. Performing research and development with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), we created a tool that allows students to build web projects using a collaborative code editor, interact with instructors and fellow students in a live educational setting, and find a rich online community of their peers just like they would at any of our in-person programs. You can read more about it here! ⎋

Before our announcement, we had been testing Codecraft Live with smaller groups of Codecraft students. It’s one thing to build a tool and release it into the world, but it’s another to put it into practice and listen to the end-users. So that’s exactly what we did. The results were amazing.

At the start of the summer camp season, we partnered with a division of GE called FieldCore and offered online STEM camps for their employees and families. ⎋ Our instructors connected with students from all across the country, and taught web development through webcomics and browser-based video games.

Once the camps came to a close and we surveyed the kids to hear their thoughts on our new tool, we noticed something awesome.

When asked if they thought learning to code would be fun before the camp, only a handful of students answered yes. But after, 93% of them reported interest in continuing to learn CS and web development beyond the single camp. They loved it!

In June, we also welcomed our first Phase I cohort for the Fibonacci program — a workforce development and on-the-job training initiative we designed for Brevard Achievement Center. It trains high school-aged students, either with learning disabilities or on the autism spectrum, in skills necessary for tech-driven fields.

By the end of 2019, we welcomed two new student cohorts to begin their Fibonacci journey! Plus, we’re proud to share that we’ve launched two more phases to the program, and are looking to welcome even more students in the new year. (Interested in getting involved? Get in touch with BAC! ⎋)

Our Fibonacci program students have continued using Codecraft Live to build awesome web projects. From a DIY Pokédex ⎋ to a website for a fictional donut shop ⎋, Fibonacci students used Codecraft Live to make some pretty cool projects and build a portfolio ⎋ of their work at the same time.

While Codecraft Live has changed a lot since the start of 2019, nearly all of our clubs, labs and other programs have continued to use it on a daily basis.

By the end of 2019, Codecraft Live had 49 programs and nearly 1,300 web projects created! It’s incredibly exciting, and we’d like to thank the extended Codecraft Works community and all of our outstanding, hardworking, and talented education partners for helping us make the platform the best it can be. With the launch of Codecraft Live, teachers can more easily champion school clubs anywhere in the country and receive the same, reliable, live high-tech mentorship and partner support of the Codecraft Works team.

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Now that 2020 is here, we’ve got big plans. We’re excited to share that starting in February, we’ll be expanding our online programs and adding new web development programs — Front End Web Design and JavaScript Games. ⎋ These programs will have live instruction sessions that run both in the daytime and after school and will meet once a week. Students will create their own websites, web projects, and even in-browser video games, all while using Codecraft Live!

Just as a high-tech reality is unstoppable, so is our mission to increase opportunities for every student through CS education. Want to support that too? We’d like to hear from you! ⎋ Let us know what programs, camps or projects you want to see in 2020. ✨