How long are events?

Events last no longer than 1.5 hours. We ask the mentors to arrive a little early to set up the computers and stay a few minutes after the event to tidy things up.

My child is older than the age range, can they still attend?

Yes. We have some curriculum that is geared towards older students. They are more than welcome to attend. If the demand grows, we can create specific classes for older students to create a more inviting environment.

What will my child learn at these classes?

Our goal is to get students excited about computer science. There are a range of topics for different age ranges, skill sets, and interests. Students will be encouraged to think critically and creatively to solve problems. Some students will be learning to build websites. Some students will be learning to build games. Some students will be learning how computers work and the process of logical thinking.

My child has never coded before, should we still sign up?

Absolutely! Our beginner events are geared towards new coders with prior experience.

What can we be working on at home?

It’s encouraged to continue these lessons at home. Most of our curriculum is accessible from anywhere. Please see our parent page for details on what websites your student can use and how to create a profile to continue from anywhere.

If my child is losing interest, where can I direct them?

Typically, they are losing interest because the subject matter is not exciting to them or the material is too easy. If this is the case, try challenging them with the next level of curriculum or work on building a website on their own.

How many events do I have to attend?

As many as you would like, but we ask a minimum of 3 events annually.

What do we teach at the events?

Most of our events are utilizing self paced curriculum such as; Code.org, FreeCodeCamp.org, CodeCombat.com. When welcoming students, we ask introductory questions and guide them to the appropriate curriculum.

How do we keep students engaged?

It’s important to identify when a student is struggling or bored and adjust. This could be switching curriculum to going off script and starting on a personal project and anything in between. The point is to engage with the student and figure out what they are interested in and adjust accordingly.

I’m not an expert, can I volunteer to code?

Yes! It does not matter if you have 15+ years of experience. The students we are mentoring are just getting started. Having an understanding of HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript will allow you to help right away.

Do I have to know how to code?

This depends on your students’ activity. If they started on a no code platform, like Code.org, then no coding is required. If they started on FreeCodeCamp.org, some coding might be required. The most important thing is the ability to read the lesson instruction and produce what is expected for the tests at the end of each lesson.

Do I have to be in person?

No. We offer virtual events as well. You choose what events you would like to attend as a mentor.

How do you run the events from start to finish?

Most events are self paced events with no instruction. Mentors are there to answer questions and provide clarifying information for lessons where students are stuck.

Do I actually have to teach in front of a classroom?

We do offer classroom-like lessons, but that is a different conversation.

freeCodeCamp is a nonprofit organization that consists of an interactive learning web platform, an online community forum, chat rooms, Medium publications, and local organizations that intend to make learning web development accessible to anyone.