Frequently Asked Questions / Answers

 What's the Goal Here?

Our goal is to bring together groups of kids with similar interests and collectively learn computer science fundamentals and programming. We use simple programming languages for our students to be able to understand the way computers work and comprehend commands.

What Languages Are Being Used?

During our workshops, we use two main programming languages. The first one is Scratch, from MIT; this tool is used at the elementary level all the way up to introduction college courses.

The other one is Python, which is regarded as one of the best programming languages for beginners starting out in computer science.

 Do I Need a Laptop to Attend?

Yes, if you have a laptop available we ask that you bring your own. If you do not have access to your own laptop, no worries. We have a variety of spare laptops and Chromebooks that you can borrow during the workshop, but please let us know ahead of time my messaging us on MeetUp. Again, we ask that if you have access to your own computer you bring it due to our limited supply of spare computers.

What if I missed A Workshop?!

If you missed any or even all of the workshops, no problem.  Our workshops are set up in a way that you can join at any point and any resources we used during a class are shows through our project examples under our Beginner and Intermediate Workshop Info tabs

Our format for every workshop will be:

  1. Introductions

  2. Project with Scratch (Beginner) / Python (Intermediate)

  3. Work Time for Individual Projects and Collaborative Feedback

  4. Kid Presentations

  5. Closing Remarks

 

How do I get started with Scratch?

Scratch is a fun tool to use, since you can create whatever you want; animations, stories, or detailed programs.  There is nothing to install since it runs in your browser (May not run on certain mobile devices depending on HTML5 support)

By looking at it, you might think this tool is for little kids; however, Scratch is used in the Intro to Computer Science classes at Harvard and many other Universities.  

Check out the Beginner Workshop Info tab for more information on registration and beginner steps.