The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Two U-46 middle schools offered coding program

By Seth Hancock
  Between September and November, students at two School District U-46 middle schools learned about coding and computer sciences through the Capital One Coders program according to a district release.
  A total of 42 U-46 students from Streamwood’s Tefft and Elgin’s Larsen middle schools took part in the after-school program. It was the first time U-46 has offered the program which was started by Capital One in 2014 in national and international locations.
  A representative of the company has visited the schools once a week over a 10-week period teaching students how applications (apps) are developed for computers and mobile devices, and students have worked with the representatives in the development of apps.
  Students will develop their own apps and present them to their families and Capital One during an event this month at the company’s Rolling Meadows office.
  “My favorite part of the program has been creating our own app,” a Tefft seventh grader, Brittany Escobar, said for the press release. “We created a game called Haunted Seekers where you have to find objects around a room like I Spy. I’m definitely excited to share our app with others and show what we created.”
  “We are grateful to this Capital One for offering this fantastic opportunity for our middle school students,” Lela Majstorovic, assistant superintendent, said. “This is another way for our students to apply what they’re learning in school while also exploring a possible career in computer science.”
  Computer sciences, including coding classes, is an elective offered at U-46’s high schools while after-school programs like this are offered at elementary and middle schools according to the release.
  Both Tefft and Larsen are expected to offer the Capital One Coders program again to new students next semester.
  “Continuing to expose students to technology and coding is what this program is all about, and we are excited to bring back the program for a new group of students in the spring,” said Jason Clark, a software engineer and the coder program school lead for Capital One, said for the release.
  Clark added: “Seeing the progression of the kids during the ten weeks is the most exciting part. Some of the students start with no knowledge of software development and at the end of ten weeks, they walk away able to design and code their own apps.”

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