Press Release
CORE Offers Adult Learners Free Coding Bootcamp Using Hip Hop Music
January 7, 2021
In an effort to provide new career pathway options for Virginians, adult education programs across Virginia are innovating to provide real solutions to meet the needs of their adult learners. One such initiative is the virtual Code Beats Computer Coding Camp which uses Hip Hop and other musical beats to teach computer coding to adults.
Code Beats is a 5-week Free introductory class taught by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) professors with support from Computer CORE and Computer CORE instructors.
From January 19 through February 18, 2021 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 – 8:00 pm, participants can find out what a career in computer science is all about and have fun while doing it. All that’s needed is a computer with speakers or earbuds/headphones and Internet access. Registration for the class is free.
Learners get to interact with instructors for each lesson through a live broadcast that includes online voting and virtual guests such as Taylor Barnett from NO BS Brass who provides some music theory basics along with coding. At the end of the camp, there is a competition where learners compete to see who can create the best beat. This camp has an emphasis on FUN!
VCU Educational Specialist with the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC), Katherine Hansen, is coordinating this statewide effort. “Adult Education is instrumental in helping many Virginians get back to work. Providing a pathway for learning computer coding is a great way to learn a new skill that can provide a life-sustaining wage to many adults from the safety of their own home,” Hansen said.
At the conclusion of the 5 weeks, learners who have successfully completed the boot camp can continue on with a Free 6-9 month online Introduction to Computer Programming class with Computer CORE designed to bridge Code Beats with a community college credentialed course. Students will gain the skills and confidence needed to be able to thrive as well as learn from computer industry professionals what a computer coding career entails.
Hansen said it goes beyond just having fun. “We hope to demystify computer coding and make it accessible to an audience that may otherwise never have been exposed to it.”
Sign up now for FREE Code Beat classes.
Register today: computercore.org/codebeats►
January 19 – February 18
7-8 PM
Contact: Donna Walker James, Executive Director (703) 931-7346, ext. 5