
This is photo from a recent tech camp held in Madison for middle school age kids. They offer camps nationwide that focus on coding, app development, robotics, game design, filmmaking, digital photography and web design. The camps aren't cheap at $849 a week. Now I'll discuss a national organization's approach to teach coding to a wider base of minorities, girls and kids at a much more affordable price (free).
Code.org is trying to close the computer science talent gap! Code.org is a non-profit that is pushing for more computer science classes in high school. 35 of the nation's largest school districts are offering these as AP classes. Code.org's goal is to close the gap between those with potential and those who end up studying this discipline. Jobs in computing fields are growing at 4X the national average. They pay 85% more than the median wage. Fewer than 2.4% of college students graduate with a CS degree! Code.org is backed by tech giants such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Movements like these will change the tech landscape for the future. My next post will focus on a local tech movement over at Sector67 in Madison WI.