As a nonprofit tech organization, Code the Dream relies on software development volunteers to make our program a success. We are grateful to have dedicated volunteers who lead mentor sessions, assist with pair programming, review assignments, and much more. But some volunteers go above and beyond. We are excited to celebrate their contributions through our […]
Code the Dream Hosts Online Idea Exchange on Gender Diversity in Tech
Code the Dream Hosts Online Idea Exchange on Gender Diversity in Tech
Code the Dream hosted an online conversation on April 4, featuring an exchange of ideas about gender diversity in the tech field. The conversation, led by CTD co-Executive Director Daisy Magnus-Aryitey, included discussion about the economic impact of more inclusive tech industry, the importance of developing skills beyond the purely technical, and the importance of […]
Meet Akosua Asante, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for March 2023
Meet Akosua Asante, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for March 2023
Each month, Code the Dream chooses to honor one volunteer who has made a contribution to our community. This month’s volunteer is Akosua Asante, who has been an assignment reviewer in our Intro to Programming and Node.js / Express classes since the fall of 2022. Thank you, Akos, for your dedication to Code the Dream! […]
Who Inspires You? Personal Tributes to Black Heroes.
Who Inspires You? Personal Tributes to Black Heroes.
Students, apprentices, and staff tell us about the Black figures who have impacted their lives.

Code the Dream COO Lucy Martinez featured in “Local Limelight”
Code the Dream COO Lucy Martinez featured in “Local Limelight”
At Code the Dream, we love it when our students and staffers are recognized for their remarkable contributions. So we were proud that our rockstar COO Lucy Martinez was featured in Axios Raleigh for their Local Limelight series. Lucy brings tremendous energy to our team and keeps our fast-growing organization in order so that everyone […]
Meet Kevin Nelson, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for January 2023
Meet Kevin Nelson, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for January 2023
Each month, we highlight a volunteer who has made big contributions to the CTD community. For our first Volunteer of the Month in 2023, we are excited to celebrate Kevin Nelson, who has been regularly involved with Code the Dream classes since 2021. Thanks, Kevin, for your commitment to Code the Dream! Kevin shared about […]

Magnus-Aryitey on Removing Resumé Requirements: “Tear the paper ceiling”
Magnus-Aryitey on Removing Resumé Requirements: “Tear the paper ceiling”
In a Twitter chat hosted by WorkingNation on December 14, Code the Dream Co-Executive Director Daisy Magnus-Aryitey and other stakeholders discussed how traditional resumé requirements block qualified candidates — many from groups that are underrepresented in high-paying professional positions — from good jobs in tech and other sectors. “STARS (workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes) exemplify […]
Magnus-Aryitey accepts “Tech Difference Maker of the Year” Award at NC TECH Gala
Magnus-Aryitey accepts “Tech Difference Maker of the Year” Award at NC TECH Gala
A student in an early version of Code the Dream, Magnus-Aryitey co-founded the current incarnation with Rearick and Code the Dream CTO Ramiro Rodriguez. She served as Director of Programs, Board Vice-Chair, and Director of Partnerships before being named Co-Executive Director in December 2021. A native of Ghana, Magnus-Aryitey moved to the US when she […]
Meet Mindy Smith, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for November 2022!
Meet Mindy Smith, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for November 2022!
Each month, we highlight a volunteer who has made big contributions to the CTD community. This month’s volunteer has carved out her own special role and plays an important part in the behind-the-scenes administration of our classes. Mindy Smith, an occupational ergonomist, has been volunteering with Code the Dream since 2021. Each week, she helps […]

Rearick discusses need for tech education in underrepresented communities on NC Policy Watch podcast
Rearick discusses need for tech education in underrepresented communities on NC Policy Watch podcast
Code the Dream Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Dan Rearick talked to writer Rob Schofield about the increasing need for access to tech education among communities that have yet to gain a strong foothold in the tech industry. “The tech industry is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our economy, there are so many amazing […]
Magnus-Aryitey named “Difference Maker of the Year” by NC Tech Awards
Magnus-Aryitey named “Difference Maker of the Year” by NC Tech Awards
Code the Dream Co-Executive Director Daisy Magnus-Aryitey was named the NC Tech Awards “Tech Difference Maker of the Year” On October 28. The NC Tech Awards are given to NC-based tech executives and stakeholders “for their demonstrated excellence and contributions to North Carolina’s vibrant tech sector,” according to the NC Tech Association. “This award is […]
Meet Tammy Collinse, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for October 2022!
Meet Tammy Collinse, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for October 2022!
Each month, we highlight a volunteer who has gone above and beyond in contributing to the CTD community. This month’s volunteer is Tammy Collinse, a mentor in our Cassiopeia Intro to Programming class. As a class mentor, Tammy leads weekly mentor sessions for small groups of students, helping answer questions about the assignments and resolve […]
Alumni Newsletter Fall 2022
Alumni Newsletter Fall 2022
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Fall 2022 CTD@ATO: Join us at the All Things Open conference, virtually! CTD Community Discussion Thurs, November 3rd 7:00pm EST/ 4:00pm PSTvia Zoom Attend any All Things Open conference sessions that interest you between October 30 – Nov 2, then join us on November 3rd to share and discuss! The virtual conference […]
Magnus-Aryitey talks Code the Dream, CTD Labs, coding careers
Magnus-Aryitey talks Code the Dream, CTD Labs, coding careers
CTD co-founder and co-Executive Director Daisy Magnus-Aryitey discussed Code the Dream’s free coding education, the work done by our developers and apprentices in CTD Labs, and the help given by Lenovo and our other partners in an interview on CBS17. Watch the full interview here.
Code the Dream welcomes four new team members
Code the Dream welcomes four new team members
Code the Dream is excited to welcome four new talented teammates: Project Manager Anne Ezzell, Senior Developer Tech Equity Fellow Omer Yariv, Strategic Initiative Lead Ricky Leung, and Class Assistant Intern Janet Zulu. Zulu is a Junior Computer Science Major at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and a Dream.US Scholar. She has a passion for learning, coding, and […]
Meet Raquel Román-Rodriguez, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for September 2022!
Meet Raquel Román-Rodriguez, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for September 2022!
At Code the Dream, we’re excited to honor the volunteers who make our program possible. This month, we’re celebrating Raquel Román-Rodriguez, who is currently a mentor in our React class. As a React mentor, Raquel leads a small group of students through the curriculum. Students watch videos, read articles, and complete assignments on their own, […]
Meet Roy Mosby, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for August 2022!
Meet Roy Mosby, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for August 2022!
Volunteers at Code the Dream wear a lot of hats – class mentors, assignment reviewers, project coaches in CTD Labs, and Skill-IT series leaders, to name a few. Our program is possible because of their dedication. Our volunteer of the month for August 2022, Roy Mosby, a volunteer who has gone beyond the typical involvement […]
Outreach to Migrant Farmworkers?
Outreach to Migrant Farmworkers?
Irene’s Story When Irene was a young teen, her family made the difficult journey from Mexico to the United States in search of work. For the next few years of her life, Irene lived with her family in single-room migrant farmworker housing. As a single mother, Irene came to Code the Dream looking for a […]
Meet Sarah Buckingham, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for July 2022
Meet Sarah Buckingham, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for July 2022
As a nonprofit tech organization, Code the Dream relies on software development volunteers to make our program a success. We are grateful to have dedicated volunteers who lead mentor sessions, assist with pair programming, review assignments, and much more. But some volunteers go above and beyond. We are excited to celebrate their contributions through our […]
Brief Vamos Demo
Brief Vamos Demo
Here’s a 3 minute demo that highlights why farmworker outreach is a critical task, why it’s so challenging, and how Vamos helps organizations save valuable staff time by using the app to plan and track outreach. Designed in partnership with farmworker service and advocacy organizations, Vamos Outreach is a mobile and desktop app that assists […]
Alumni Spotlight: Suheyla Cetin
Alumni Spotlight: Suheyla Cetin
Code the Dream student Suheyla Cetin started a new job as a software engineer with New York-based startup Array this summer, achieving a goal she has been working toward for two years. Cetin enrolled in Code the Dream in 2021 after relocating to the US from Turkey in 2015. She completed her master’s degree in […]
Meet Shanna Murry, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for June 2022
Meet Shanna Murry, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month for June 2022
At Code the Dream, we rely on dedicated volunteers to help us accomplish our mission of changing the face of the tech industry. We are especially thrilled when one of our graduates gives back by volunteering with our classes or projects. That is the story of our volunteer of the month, Shanna Murry, who finished […]
CTD Celebrates Girls Who Code Founder Reshma Saujani
CTD Celebrates Girls Who Code Founder Reshma Saujani
To celebrate Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we would like to highlight the work of Reshma Saujani. Saujani is of Gujarati Indian descent. She founded Girls Who Code in 2012 after learning about the vast gender disparities in computer science education while running for Congress. Saujani wrote a book entitled Brave, Not Perfect, and launched […]
Meet Jamie Bort, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month
Meet Jamie Bort, CTD’s Volunteer of the Month
At Code the Dream, we’re grateful to have a dedicated group of software developer volunteers who help make our work a success. Volunteers lead mentor sessions, review class assignments, work with our apprentices and students on real-world projects, and lead our weekly Skill-IT professional development sessions. Some of our volunteers go above and beyond, and […]



