The course will be hosted by Staff Code, a nonprofit started by two Issaquah Highlands teenagers.
Level up your coding skills! Ready to embark on an epic quest into the world of game development with Python? Join us for a free four-week course with Staff Code at Blakely Hall.
The classes will take place on May 28, June 5, June 11 and June 18 from 4-6 p.m. Students can share their projects during a final showcase at Blakely Hall on June 25 from 5-6 p.m. Fill out this form to confirm your registration.
Staff Code is a community tutoring organization dedicated to teaching students about the world of coding. The nonprofit was started by Berkan and Aditya, who are both Issaquah Highlands residents and Issaquah High School juniors.
Any students from late elementary school to high school are encouraged to participate in the classes. There is no strict age requirement to join.
“We want Staff Code to be the same environment as a school, where students are free to explore the world of programming without the high costs of classes,” Berkan says.
The course at Blakely Hall is designed for students who want to learn how to create their own video games from scratch using the Python programming language. Classes are intended for both beginner and intermediate level coders.
Berkan and Aditya recognized that much of the programming they learned in high school could be taught to a younger audience as well, so they launched Staff Code to make students “feel more capable with the knowledge of code.”
“We wanted to remove the intimidating price and commitment barriers that stop a lot of interested students in their tracks when it comes to learning to code,” Berkan says. “We want our classes to be as accessible as possible, which means requiring the least prerequisites to ensure that anybody is able to take our classes.”
All courses are currently taught by Berkan and Aditya, who both have prior experience with teaching a younger audience. As the nonprofit takes off, they hope to bring in additional experienced high school students as well as coding professionals to help with programming education.
Berkan says students can expect hands-on classes focused on the fundamentals of programming. Time is devoted at the beginning of each class to learn about the various functions and tools in editing and development software. In the past, Staff Code has also taught the fundamentals of Java programming as well as website design.
“Each course involves hands-on projects, along with occasional quizzes for understanding,” Berkan says. “Most importantly, [we provide] a LOT of supplemental resources like reference sheets, presentation slides and videos.”
These resources are crafted to assist students when they encounter challenges with their code, or if they need to review lessons they might have missed or not fully grasped.
Staff Code offers month-long courses a couple times per season, both in-person and over video calls. All free class content is posted on its YouTube channel and website.
In the future, Berkan and Aditya look forward to expanding the selection and accessibility of courses while also hosting hack-a-tons, competitions and other special coding events.
