“How might we create fertile ground for the African American community in Seattle to grow with the city’s current tech boom? We’re starting with the Hack the CD Youth Coding Bootcamp – a special opportunity for youth groups in the Central Area of Seattle to create games and learn how to code.”- David Harris
On August 25, despite sweltering (for Seattle) heat and late-summer sunshine, over 30 African American students aged 10-15 started their week-long coding bootcamp. Hosted at the Central Area Youth Association, this is part of a series of activities leading up to next month’s Hack the CD/Central District Startup Weekend event.
Coding Dojo‘s Michael Choi led teams of students through HTML, CSS, Basic Javascript and jQuery as they added elements to a treasure-hunting game. Thomas Wilson and Ryan Whitley of TechDiversified helped mentor the students through hands-on exercises, while David Harris and Wyking Garrett kept the trains running on time and supported students as they worked through game mechanics.
By the end of the week, students had created their own versions of popular games such as Pacman and Streetfighter, and ten of the students received a Coding Dojo Junior Green Belt demonstrating their exceptional level of mastery. Can’t wait to see what they do at the Startup Weekend event, and beyond!
Inspired by what you read here? Get in the game and sign up here for the Hack the CD/Central District Startup Weekend.
