Python for Middle Schoolers

Who's ready for some PYTHON! Python is one of the most popular languages worldwide for teaching and for real-world applications. Your middle schooler will be introduced to an online Python platform, which we'll use to explore some fundamental concepts. They'll dive into fun projects that involve creative thinking while progressing towards more complex coding. In addition to developing general problem solving and logical thinking skills, students will learn Python syntax (loops, variables, line structure, etc), function calls, Cartesian Coordinates, and more. Each class will help your middle schooler progress towards a better grasp of Python. New coders welcome.

Ages: Middle Schoolers
Class Structure: 8 classes (9/21 through 11/9), every Wednesday 3pm-4pm.
Location: San Francisco Richmond, 251 Clement St 

Code Class Series

This beginner group class teaches coding through game design and fun-filled projects on MIT's popular "Scratch" platform. Scratch uses drag 'n drop blocks that allow students to assemble code quickly and create as far as their imagination takes them. In addition to learning computer science fundamentals like loops, coordinates, and variables, students apply and develop core math skills including coordinate geometry, negative numbers, angles, and boolean logics.

Ages: 8-10 years old.
Class Structure: Every Sundays 11am-12pm or Wednesdays at 2pm-3pm 
Location: San Francisco Richmond, 251 Clement St 

We designed a junior code class for our youngest technologists. This code class will mainly focus on keyboarding skills and basic computer science fundamentals using drag 'n drop logical concepts. Your younger technologist will stay engaged with interactive online tools and entertained through games and stories. Space in the Junior Code Classes are limited, so reserve your spot today! 

Ages: 5-7 years old.
Class Structure: Every Sunday 11am-12pm
Location: San Francisco Richmond, 251 Clement St

Please send an email to Allen to sign up.

NOW HIRING!

Do you enjoy teaching and watching kids' eyes light up? Are you a decent competent coder? Our social and immersive method is a great way to get our next generation ready while being able to have fun with technology yourself. Apply today!

Please send an email with your resume to Allen

Meet Coach Ivy!

At the Coder School San Francisco, we love teaching coding. We also love celebrating our students, coaches, and staff who are such an important part of our community.

Coach Ivy is both a student and Code Coach. Ivy joined us for our first summer camp in 2017 after finishing 6th grade at Denman. She took all of Allen’s whiteboards to organize and plan her text based adventure game. (Allen laughs when remembering how he looked everywhere for the missing whiteboards.)

“That game was one of the first projects that really stuck with me – didn’t feel like an assignment, more like a piece of art.”  -- Coach Ivy

After summer camp, Ivy joined our Code Coaching program as a student. Her first teacher was Coach Natalie, who taught her the importance of collaboration. While Ivy was at first a bit nervous about our pairs approach, where we have two students with one Code Coach, she became good friends with her pairs partner Ethan. Ivy and Ethan are still friends, which is part of what makes us happy about our community – having more students get to know others with similar interests and stay in touch. She also credits Natalie and Ethan for teaching her about the joys of teamwork, mentorship, and of course, readable code.

Ivy joined us as a summer camp counselor for 2017 and part of 2018. With all her experience as a student and enthusiasm and leadership as a counselor, we were thrilled that Ivy joined us as a teacher last fall after shadowing Coach Jason over the summer.

Coach Ivy enjoys teaching Scratch in particular and has observed that among the benefits of learning coding as a kid, beyond active coding itself, is that you learn to do math and you learn to spell. Fundamentals in a fun way.

Coach Ivy is now a junior in high school who leads her robotics club. She still enjoys learning advanced coding while teaching the next generation how to code text adventures.

What’s next for Coach

Meet Coach Ivy! (continue)

What’s next for Coach Ivy?
“I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that making video games is a viable career. In my heart, it seems like too much of a pipe dream.

I definitely think I’m going to keep coding forever. It’s one of the best outlets for me to be creative. Even if I’m not in a field using it professionally, I will still make stuff for me for fun regardless of whether there are financial benefits.”

Our hunch is that Coach Ivy will realize her dream and do many great things in addition to her teaching and creating. We’ll be behind her all the way!

“I think people should see code as more of an art than they do.” -- Coach Ivy

Congrats to our amazing coaches

for winning several awards in the inaugural Repl.it Game Jam Game Design Contest.

Best Individual Game: CryptoStory: Isekai, Action Adventure game using Phaser CE by Coach Jason Huang

Best Team Game: Zanderian Prince Simulator 2020 by Coaches Jacky Chen, Dakota Madden-Fong, Nicolas Graves, Michael Tran

Be sure to read Repl.it’s Developer Spotlight interview with Nico, Dakota, Michael, and Jackie! "We're a small group of co-workers at the Coder School San Francisco, we're instructors and teach programming to kids and use repl.it all the time for lessons and instruction with students.”

Learn more about games that our coaches built below:

Community Services

We were pleased to kick off 2019 by co-hosting a conversation with parents and kids on electronic gaming at SFPD's Taraval Station community room. We talked about balancing gaming time with other activities and setting clear rules and expectations for kids. We also discussed how coding and game design can be potential careers for kids who love games and want to engage that passion. This is a hot topic that we enjoyed talking about! If you are interested in having us host a similar discussion with your school or parent community, please email lee@thecoderschool.com.

Toys help kids dive into augmented reality

The Coder School San Francisco was featured on the ABC7 6pm Evening News. 7 On Your Side Michael Finney finds out if Augmented Reality could really educate our children in the Toys Help Kids dive into Augmented Reality news segment.

Check out on ABC7 News web site here