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CTD hits the evening news!

dan · Jun 4, 2018

Code the Dream opens doors, launches careers

By Mandy Mitchell, WRAL reporter & Hannah Webster, WRAL.com editor

DURHAM, N.C. — A Durham startup is making dreams come true for adults and high school students who want to work in technology.

Code the Dream provides free classes for people who are traditionally under-represented in the technology and computer science industries.

Coding was never the kind of work Daisy Magnus-Aryitey imagined herself doing.

“Three years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom,” she said.

She said she never considered herself to be “good” with computers, but she now has a successful career as a computer programmer.

“I know that my life changed,” Magnus-Aryitey said. “My family’s life changed, just to be able to get into this space and to be able to get into something that I never saw myself doing.”

Her life changed thanks to an organization called Code the Dream, a program that gives people from under-represented populations an entry point into the tech industry.

Magnus-Aryitey, who is originally from Ghana, is now the director. “Our students are usually first-generation Americans, recent immigrants, minorities, women or people from low-income backgrounds,” she said.

Most people involved in the program had never seen a line of code before their first class.

Students quickly learn the basics, and within a year, the best students are building their own apps, usually for non-profits in the Triangle.

“It means the world. Just to have access to the space. Access to the resources, the instructors and getting your foot in the door,” student Manuel Ramos Gonzalez said.

They are then able to get jobs in technology and coding, industries with increasingly high demands.

“The best part is watching students progress and remembering where they were just a few months ago,” Executive Director Dan Rearick said.

Crystal Williams-Brown was working in a grocery store before she learned about Code the Dream.

She always had an interest in technology but didn’t think she could pursue a career in the industry.

“I would love if it could inspire someone who has brushed it off and said that’s not for me if someone would just see and hear me and just give it a shot,” Williams-Brown said.

Code the Dream classes, for high school students and young adults, are available year-round.

“Now with our classes they come in and say oh I am not the only immigrant. I am not the only person of color I am not the only one in this environment,” Magnus-Aryitey said. “That is what makes code the dream so special.”

Blog, News

"Programs like CTD are important because everyone should have access to a good education regardless of their background, faith or finances. Some students like me are passionate about coding, but unfortunately, we can't afford a boot camp." Learn more at codethedream.org/classes. pic.twitter.com/3q1vz2HRz0

About a week ago

Applications are now open for our next round of introductory and advanced-level classes. Join our passionate, welcoming student community and learn the programming skills necessary to succeed in the #tech industry. codethedream.org/classes/ pic.twitter.com/irbz9txTkN

About 2 weeks ago

Excited to be celebrating this month's CTD Coworking Day in person and virtually alongside @thoughtbot's Rainbow Connection, an Employee Resource Group that provides support for the LGBTQIA+ community. 🌈 🫱🏾‍🫲🏼 pic.twitter.com/qzaBDA8L6t

About 2 weeks ago

The app offers a free tier to help make it accessible to the broader public. We should all take advantage of innovations like @upstatenc. Our democracy is not perfect, but it's stronger when we participate. Learn more at start.keepupstate.com.

About 3 weeks ago

CTD Labs is proud of our work on @upstatenc, a legislative tracking/analysis tool that delivers nearly immediate bill updates and keyword-searchable transcripts of hearings and floor sessions from NC’s General Assembly.

About 3 weeks ago

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