Real World Learning: Steel City Codes
Students are taking learning in their own hands: NASH students Akshana Dassanaike-Perera and Josh Zhou design a new initiative to educate students about programming.
Steel City Codes is an official nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh that tours an assortment of public schools, teaching them the languages of the future, computer languages. Through their free summer camps and after-school programs, using a peer-mentorship method, they are working to solve two main problems: How to educate young students in the computer science field, and how to reduce discrimination in STEM fields. They strive to keep their program free so that any student, no matter their ethnic or financial background, can participate.
The two main programming languages that their programs focus on are Java and Python. Their summer camps include courses for Intro and Intermediate levels for each other programming languages and if the student feels as if the class is too advanced or easy for their level, they can change to whichever level feels comfortable for them.
Throughout their two year life of teaching kids about coding, they have already been selected to attend multiple events, such as the Tech 50 event through ATT’s Believe in the Burgh initiative and the Innovation Zone at the TRETC. On top of being selected to participate in those events, they were recently named finalists in the CAST iSTEAM competition and they were invited to attend the Global Innovation Summit
Their executive team consists of four of our very own North Allegheny Students. Josh Zhou is the Chief Operating Officer, Akshana Dassanaike-Perera is the Chief Executive Officer, Claire Shao is the Chief Financial Officer, Alok Shah is the Chief Marketing Officer, and Donald Poindexter Jr., from Central Catholic, is the Chief Alliance Officer.
Steel City Codes mainly teach in two different programs, their summer camps, and after school programs. They held their first summer camp this summer at North Allegheny Intermediate High School in three different sessions, teaching Java and Python. They also teach through their after school chapters. Their after-school chapters are classes for middle school and elementary school students after a school day that run for an hour and is taught by high school students. School districts that are interested in starting a chapter can contact Steel City Codes through their email or view their chapter packet, linked on their website.
Right now, Steel City Codes is operating their chapter programs at Marshall Middle School and Ryan Gloyer Middle School, however they are looking to expand to a number of other schools including Lakeland Copper Beech, Old Forge Elementary School, Shaler Area Middle School, Peters Township Middle School, Conemaugh Township Middle School, Pine-Richland Middle School, Northeastern Middle School, and Allentown Middle School.
Steel City Codes is a wonderful program for all middle and elementary school kids that want to get themselves exposed to a couple of very useful programming languages. Students that are interested can find out more through the link below.
Pratik Yarlagaddda is a sophomore at NAI. This is his first year as NAEye's lead interviewer. He participates in the North Allegheny Marching Band and...
