Blog

This February, our volunteer of the month is Rogelio Camargo! Rogelio, a software engineer at Vividly, has served as a mentor in our Intro and React classes, a practicum project lead, and now helps lead sessions for our Data Structures and Algorithms class in CTD Labs. Apprentices share that Rogelio is skilled at breaking down […]

Each month, Code the Dream celebrates one of our incredible volunteers. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Anujkumarsinh Donvir, who joined CTD as a React group instructor in 2024. Students have shared that Anuj leads detailed, well-structured group sessions; they also are grateful that Anuj records his lessons, allowing them to return to those lessons […]

Irene Sanchez was a pharmacy tech hoping to make a career change in 2019, whenshe heard about Code the Dream (CTD) from a friend who was taking CTD’s freeclasses. “I had developed an interest in technology and programming and I wanted to pursue anew career away from customer service,” Sanchez says. “I heard about the […]

Shaya Lyon and Kate Borgen represented Code the Dream and our Vamos Outreach App at the National Farmworker Law Conference November 13-15 in Atlanta. The experience, Lyon says, was inspiring and motivating. “It was great to hear Vamos partners talk about how using Vamos has helped their organizations plan and track their outreach visits to […]

CTD’s volunteers can serve as class mentors, lead small groups of students through our capstone practicum project, support apprentices in their career search, contribute to our curriculum, and serve in other areas as well. We could not do our work at this scale without them! Each month, we celebrate one volunteer who has made a […]

Code the Dream is proud to announce three new staff members: Product/Project Manager Shaya Lyon, Senior Public Benefits Analyst Louise Pocock, and Program Assistant Caitlin Gross. By way of introduction, each of them participated in a short Q&A to illustrate who they are and some — but not all! — of the reasons why they are such welcome additions.

Each month, Code the Dream celebrates a volunteer who has made a unique contribution to our community. This month, we’re excited to celebrate Joannes Figueroa, who has volunteered as both a React class mentor and Full Stack Practicum Lead. Tell us about yourself! Hello, I’m Joannes. When I’m not in front of my computer, you’ll […]

Volunteers form a core part of our work at Code the Dream. Volunteers hold small group mentor sessions for our students, provide feedback on student code, host professional development workshops for students, and more. Each month, CTD celebrates a volunteer who has made a special impact on our community. This month, we’re recognizing Daniel Sinn, […]

We’re excited to introduce May’s volunteer of the month, Ekaterina Bondareva! Kat is a unique CTD participant — she is both a volunteer and a student! Kat joined Code the Dream in May 2022 as a student in our Intro to Programming class, and has since completed a React.js advanced course and the Practicum. This […]

Throughout March and April, Code The Dream (CTD) hosted Gender Diversity In Tech, a series on why gender diversity matters and how to promote it in your workplace. Three events anchored the series: Each event gave participants the opportunity to learn from CTD staff, mentors, and partners who offered their own experiences and expertise on […]

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 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 […]

CTD alumni and mentors shared their own experiences in the industry and offered insights and best practices for developing a more inclusive work place.

On March 21, Code The Dream hosted a roundtable discussion about gender diversity at MetLife campus in Cary. Five leaders from across the tech industry joined the conversation: The panel was hosted by CTD Co-Executive Director Daisy Magnus-Aryitey. Each speaker offered incredible insights and actionable steps toward making the tech industry a more diverse workforce […]

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! […]

Students, apprentices, and staff tell us about the Black figures who have impacted their lives.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

After trying to learn to code independently, Jaqueline decided she needed a more structured form of learning so she applied for CTD classes. When asked what attracted her to CTD, Jaqueline said, “As an immigrant who works full-time, Code The Dream’s mission of creating opportunities for immigrants and communities of color really resonated with me […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

At Code the Dream, we believe technology has the power to build a better, brighter future for everyone. But with great power comes great responsibility. How can we leverage these great technological innovations to strengthen our communities through civic engagement? Throughout the campaign, we’ll be talking to authors, politicians, scientists, and our own CTD staff […]

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 […]

Today, we are excited to highlight one of our newest employees, Anne Ezzell! Anne joins Code The Dream as our Project Manager.

We are excited to highlight one of our newest employees, Omer Yariv! Omer joins Code The Dream as our Senior Developer Tech Equity Fellow.

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, […]

How can we leverage these great technological innovations to strengthen our communities through civic engagement?

How can technology be used to make the American legal system less complicated and more affordable for the average person?

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 […]

Code the Dream hosted a community Twitter Chat as part of our Tech & Civic Engagement campaign. The series of questions and prompts led to an engaging conversation about the ways in which people use technology to connect with their local communities, their government, and the world around them. Here are a few of the […]

How is technology used to create more engagement between citizens, their communities, and their government? For centuries, advancements in technology have changed the way we interact with other people and the world around us. Communication tools, from the printing press, to the telephone, to social media, have made it easier to create and disseminate information. […]

Last week, a collection of staff, apprentices, alumni and students came together for an in-person coworking session at The Frontier in Research Triangle Park. Our program went virtual during the pandemic like many folks around the country. We’ve adapted to building a strong online community but we still miss seeing our friends and colleagues in […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. We’re […]

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 […]

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 […]

Code the Dream and CTD Labs are thrilled to welcome their newest full-time junior developer, Denilson Velasquez. A native of Honduras, Denilson has lived in the US since he was very young – which is also when he started to develop a propensity for disassembling his toys, a development that he sees as a precursor […]

As a nonprofit tech organization, Code the Dream relies on software development volunteers to make our program a success. We are grateful for every single volunteer that works to support our students and apprentices in the many ways they show up: mentoring, leading workshops, reviewing assignments, pair programming, project coaching and more! But some go […]

We are excited to welcome the Pennsylvania Farmworker Project of Philadelphia Legal Assistance to the Vamos app network of partners thanks to grant funding from the American Bar Endowment. Vamos is a mobile app that assists outreach workers in planning, finding, conducting, tracking and reporting on outreach visits to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Outreach staff […]

March is Women’s History Month, but Code the Dream is celebrating an awesome team of present-day, all-women developers. CTD developers Andrea Hernandez-Guzman, Mariandrea Maldonado, and Rachel Frenkel, along with Katie Brey of the Hill Learning Center, have been hard at work bringing the interactive HillRAP to a growing group of students. Recently, three of the […]

“In Their Own Words”CTD Alumni thank our volunteers CTD volunteers, you were instrumental in my journey, not only in the technical aspects, but in learning how to learn, how to search, and also the soft skills, like how to prepare for an interview. Mentors were always there when I reached out, and you all offered […]

I’m Nick Santiago. I’m a proud veteran — I served for ten years in the US Marines. But after I left the Marines, I wasn’t sure what to do. I knew I was interested in tech, and I tried to teach myself — I bought books, I watched YouTube videos, I learned enough to build a game — nothing fancy, but I was proud of it. I went back to school to start learning Computer Science, and that’s where I heard about Code the Dream.

Code the Dream (CTD) is proud to announce Daisy Magnus-Aryitey as the organization’s new Co-Executive Director. Most recently Code the Dream’s Director of Partnerships, Magnus-Aryitey will join Executive Director Dan Rearick in leading day-to-day operations and mapping the path for the fast-growing non-profit. Magnus-Aryitey is uniquely suited for the position, having been a student in […]

The six member-owners of Radiate Consulting™ North Carolina decided that their tech expertise combined with a collective-ownership model was their best route to business ownership and a rewarding career trajectory. After working for months, supported by Code the Dream and the Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI), they launched the new business at an event on […]

Selamawit Shibru joined Code the Dream as an intern in October, 2020. In September, she left after getting a job as a Front End Developer at Tata Consulting Group. What led to your career in software development?I started developing back home in Ethiopia, where my background is in civil engineering. I got the chance to […]

Code the Dream salutes programmers Andrea Hernandez Guzman and Mariandrea Maldonado, whose work with CTD Labs is helping to bring a reading instruction application for children with learning challenges to teachers and students across the country. Hernandez Guzman and Maldonado have been working on the interactive Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) for CTD Labs’ client […]

The member-owners of Radiate Consulting™ North Carolina, a new tech cooperative founded by six entrepreneurs with a wide range of expertise, will introduce themselves and their business at an online event on Thursday, September 2. Radiate Consulting™ is a worker-owned and run small business specializing in building high-quality websites and custom web applications that help […]

Quay Weston is a CTD alumni from the 2019 React cohort. He credits his time in the program with “giving me the tools and the language to talk to developers which helped me move into UI/UX design and connected me with other dope people in the tech space.” Community has been the most important part […]

Code the Dream (CTD) is happy to announce that Daisy Magnus-Aryitey, co-founder and former board member, has returned to Code the Dream as the first Director of Partnerships. A native of Ghana, Magnus-Aryitey moved to the US when she was four and came to North Carolina in 2009. She enrolled in an early version of […]

In celebration of Pride Month, we are committing to learn even more about how we can create an inclusive, equitable workplace for everyone. Here are a few resources that we’ve found valuable. LGBTQ+ STEM ICONS This course from Code Academy offers an opportunity to learn more about important figures in the LGBTQ+ tech community. These […]

On finding Code the Dream: “I came to the United States two years ago from Colombia, where I studied IndustrialEngineering for six years in college. When I first moved to the US, I had tried to study coding by myself, but I felt I needed more structure and guidance. So when I heard about Code […]

Registration for our new round of classes is live! Deadline to apply is June 13, so don’t wait to apply. Apply here.

Name: Kassidy Holtzman Where are you from? Norlina, North Carolina What class are you in? Koi (Ruby on Rails) How did you find out about Code the Dream? What made you want to join? My last year of college at Vance-Granville Community College my teacher Ms. Gill recommended that I sign up for the class. […]

On April 30th, Code the Dream co-founders Dan Rearick and Daisy Magnus-Aryitey shared their thoughts in an op-ed with the News & Observer about what impact Apple and Google will have on the region after both companies announced their plans to expand into the Triangle. Here’s an excerpt: This week, Apple announced plans for a […]

On Friday, IBM announced it is expanding its Global University Program to 40 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through a $100 million investment in faculty, guest lecturers, cloud storage, and other components necessary for educating those interested in working in tech. IBM — one of Research Triangle Park’s long-standing tenants — has an established […]

For the past year, we’ve had the pleasure of working with Petra Holešínská, UNC graduate student and varsity basketball player hailing from the Czech Republic. Petra has been instrumental in helping us use our social media platforms to spotlight the amazing students and apprentices here at Code the Dream, as well as other important historical […]

On April 22, Code the Dream hosted “Demo Day,” an event showcasing our students, their stories, and the projects they’ve been working on. This is an opportunity for everyone to get an inside look at what makes the Code the Dream process special and how our work impacts the community. Below are a series of […]

Sintu moved to the United States with her family five years ago and didn’t have any real IT experience at that time. After volunteering in Atlanta, Georgia, she joined Code the Dream as a student before eventually becoming a front-end developer. Being new to coding, Sintu really appreciates how helpful has everyone been throughout this […]

Selamawit is originally from Ethiopia and she moved to the U.S. in 2018 after winning the diversity visa lottery. She has a background in civil engineering, but she also got the chance to learn coding during her bachelor’s study. After working as a cashier for over a year and receiving her Master’s degree in software […]

Martina and her husband moved to the U.S. from Serbia in 2018 to create a better future for their family. Having an experience in web design, Martina was looking for a job and an opportunity to grow as a developer. She found out about Code the Dream through UpwardlyGlobal, an organization that helps immigrants land […]

After finding out about Code the Dream through an email from her community college, Paola decided to take one of our classes last October. She knew she wanted to have some kind of an education, but she also had a hard time finding the right direction for her career: ‘‘Nothing was really sticking with me […]

Sinan blazed through CTD classes, becoming a full-stack developer in record time! He started as an apprentice in CTD Labs in December, which marks his first real experience building apps. Even though he had a high technical ability, his lack of experience in the U.S. prevented him from landing a position in tech. ‘’Before CTD I […]

Congratulations to Jorge Gabitto, who finished our first full-stack class in January, and who started as an apprentice in CTD Labs last month. After being involved in education, Jorge was looking for an opportunity to learn about coding, while also being able to make an impact: ‘’I have always felt like I wanted to do […]

Congratulations to Grant Young, who just completed our Intro to Programming “Catarina” class, a class specifically targeting rural North Carolinians! He decided to try coding after job changes due to COVID-19. “I was very unsure about where I wanted to go, but Code the Dream gave me a solid path to walk on.” Grant appreciated the […]

Code the Dream’s newest interns completed our 2019-2020 Ruby on Rails class. We’re excited to welcome them to the CTD community! Read more about them below! Cindy Mendes I was born and raised in France. In 2015, I moved to the states as an Au Pair. I started working with programming languages including Java, Python, […]

We believe that Black Lives Matter.  The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police last month — along with the earlier murders of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery — has highlighted the violence and systemic racism that Black people face on a daily basis in America. We are encouraged by the calls for justice that […]

At Code the Dream, we have a deep love of the community we’re building. It’s a community that is full of people with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences who now come from all over the country. It celebrates immigrants and communities of color. It is a community that is changing the tech sector, […]

The COVID-19 virus is one of the most challenging crises we’ve faced in generations. The direct pain caused by the virus and economic fallout from social distancing has upended the way we normally live. We are working hard to adapt to the circumstances, through the projects we work on, our online classes, and our team […]

Mariandrea Maldonado Mariandrea was born and raised in Venezuela. In 2014, she started working with programming languages such as: Java, C++, and php while she was studying computer engineering in her home country. Her background embraces development of websites, web applications and development of games for Android. She loves playing piano, swimming, running, mathematics and […]

Recently at Code the Dream, we have been leaning in to doing more of our work online. In response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Code the Dream’s staff has moved to working fully remote until it is safe to return to the office. We are fortunate that we launched our national remote participation […]

Tony Byrd was growing increasingly discontented with his job running the coffee shop in the lobby of IBM’s main building in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He had been working there since he graduated from high school nearly a decade ago, and with two young kids to provide for at home, Byrd, 27, was itching […]

Back in July, I chatted with then Penn State defensive back John Reid about his experiences with Coding and how I can teach Coding to my students. After digging through the resources he recommended, I came across Code The Dream. Here’s my chat with John Reid about Coding and with four interns from Code The […]

Our Ruby on Rails students are back at work learning CSS and HTML in the second phase of their class, which focuses on web basics. We wrote about this class back in the fall – it’s our first remote-only class and has students from across the United States. I caught up with two of our students, […]

It was two days to launch day, and we had just decided on some last-minute improvements to the app. We had only recently finalized its name. Mariposa AR, as we decided to call it, was one of the most unique projects we had done yet, and the coming launch day brought waves of excitement and […]

DURHAM – Ever feel the urge to jump into a mural like Mary Poppins and get transported into another reality? Well, now you can. A new augmented reality app called Mariposa AR –commissioned by Google Fiber and developed by Code the Dream — allows visitors to interact with two murals in downtown Durham inspired by artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. “AR […]

I’ve never known a place quite like the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry. Since the 1980s they’ve served thousands of migrant farmworkers from their outpost in Dunn, North Carolina, tending to the needs of the invisible and poorly paid workforce on which our agricultural economy depends. In the summer of 2018, the Ministry went into high gear […]

Part of the American dream includes a solid education with the promise of a lucrative job down the road. For many immigrant students in North Carolina, that dream is elusive. These facts were part of the impetus for Code the Dream, a nonprofit organization that teaches immigrant and minority youth the art and science of coding. […]

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Crystal Williams-Brown is the poster child for ‘Code the Dream’. The college graduate couldn’t find work in her first chosen field and decided she really wanted to be a computer programmer. “As I was looking around at a lot of those schools it was very expensive to go and I wasn’t […]

Code the Dream is a nonprofit offering free programming classes and internships to underrepresented communities in the tech sector. A staff member writes about how working with immigrants has improved the quality and scope of the apps the organization builds. I am just beginning to get comfortable in the old, eighteen passenger van when Juan, […]

by Reid Russom When Narayan and the rest of the Code the Dream delegation walked into GSK’s Triangle headquarters to receive the 2019 IMPACT Award, the space looked familiar to him, but not for the reasons you might think. Looking across the cavernous wood-paneled auditorium and out into the lobby encased in towering glass windows, […]

Code the Dream is excited to welcome a new class of programming students. This cohort is unique because it is enrolled in our first online-only class. Because of this, we are able to expand our reach beyond the Triangle, enrolling students from a number of states and four different time zones! Our new students come […]

Code the Dream recently welcomed a new class of React interns who are currently working on a wide range of projects, from building calculators and tic-tac-toe boards to MeuTube, a custom-built YouTube playlist that allows for a more streamlined viewing experience. We asked four of our interns five questions, check out their experiences below! Nick […]

Veni Kunche knows tech. A software engineer for over 10 years, she has been named a “Powerful Woman Programmer” by DCFemTech twice. But Kunche’s extensive experience in the tech sector has made deeply aware of the tech world’s tendency towards amplifying voices that are typically white and male. That’s why Kunche started Code with Veni, […]

by Latisha Catchatoorian | Originally published August 14, 2019 This story was written for WRAL TechWire Advisor partner Momentum Learning. A lot of companies talk about investing in their employees, creating a more diverse work environment, and growing the workforce, but too many times these are just bullet points in a company handbook. That’s not the case […]

Irene knows firsthand about life as a migrant farmworker. And now she’s working with colleagues Daniel and Andrea on a new mobile app to make sure farmworkers get the help they need to stay safe and healthy. Last month they used the app with EFwM to coordinate outreach to farmworker camps in eastern North Carolina. […]

Tilneil Gary is one of the new interns that has joined our Code the Dream team. Here is some information about Tilneil and her experience with Code the Dream. Tell us about yourself. I am from a very small town called Enfield located in Halifax County, NC and now reside in Raleigh. Currently, I am […]

Last night our very own Jared Siirila won the STEM Volunteer of the Year award from the annual STEMmy Awards hosted by STEM RTP. Jared has worked as a front-end developer for IBM and Lenovo, and currently works for EBSCO in the NoveList division, developing software for public libraries. Jared is our longest-serving volunteer instructor […]

Jonathan Payares is a current student in our JavaScript course! You can read more about him and his experience at Code the Dream below. Tell me about yourself. My name is Jonathan Payares, I’m from Colombia (Cartegena), and I’m currently working as a manager at Noodles and Company. How did you hear about CTD? I […]

Originally published March 26, 2019 in WRAL TechWire RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Code the Dream, an organization that provides computer programming classes to people from diverse and low-income backgrounds, is opening a second office. Launched in Durham at American Underground, the nonprofit is opening a new office at The Frontier campus in Research Triangle Park. The […]

On Saturday March 9th, high school students from Sampson County Schools Upward Bound participated in Code the Dream’s Hackathon in Durham, NC. Juan Perez, Michael Pineda, Erica Quintana, KeAusja Chestnutt, and Katie Luengas were selected for the Code the Dream Future Scholars Internship. Over the past two the months they built a website with Code […]

By Sarah Willets | Originally published March 13, 2019 in Indy Week Advocates Say Durham’s Experiment to Wipe Thousands of Old Cases Off the Books Could Be a Model for Statewide Justice Reform Linwood Thornton had just accepted that he’d never drive legally again.  His license had been suspended since June 2, 1989. A relative used […]

by Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez | Originally published March 5, 2019 in GrepBeat Sitting in a classroom in the basement of American Underground’s American Tobacco campus, eight of Code the Dream’s young programmers waited to present their apps to an eager audience last Friday. But, something made this event different from most tech demos. In fact, something […]

Kelly Garvy, the founder of Upstate, wanted to make North Carolina legislation more accessible for everyday citizens, so she created an app with Code the Dream that would accomplish this goal. The goal of Upstate is to help community members track bills by organizing data better and notifying people of changes in a more modern […]

Code the Dream has been developing two apps for the city of Durham and the Durham Innovation Team, and last night we were honored to be recognized by the mayor. We’re excited to continuing to work with all of these great partners to help open up access to opportunity for people who face major challenges […]

Over the last year, one of the apps Code the Dream has been most proud to develop has been Upstate — a tool that allows users to get immediate updates about proposed new state laws in the issue areas they care about most. Yesterday Upstate founder Kelly Garvy and CTD developer Crystal Williams-Brown were on […]

Local adults and students share a desire to learn the language of computers in hopes for a career or life change. by Addie Ladner  |  photography courtesy Code the Dream It’s a Thursday night on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. While many people are drinking and eating their way through downtown, nearly 20 adults and […]

NC Open Pass is a group that holds open data events with the goal of creating ‘civic tech’.  In September, they held their yearly Civic Camp event, where attendees could pitch ideas for civic-minded apps that used open data. I pitched an idea but my team didn’t win the final presentation. However, the team that […]

Last month, many of the Code the Dream interns attended the All Things Open Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center.  All Things Open is the largest open technology event on the East Coast with over 3,500 attendees. Over the course of the 3-day conference, there were more than 200 sessions. These sessions discussed a range […]

Last week, Code the Dream interns attended the 2018 Call for Code Global Challenge at IBM in RTP. Call for Code is a multi-year global initiative for developers to use their skills to drive positive change across the world through the code they create. The Call for Code Global Challenge started with 30 teams. IBM […]

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 […]

At Code the Dream, we’re always interested to find ways to expand opportunity to those who may have less access. So we were excited to learn recently that we received a Ribbon of Hope grant from the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to do just that — specifically supporting expanded access to Code the Dream to young […]

Cruz Nuñez is now officially our second Code the Dream alumni to come back as program staff. Cruz is an incredibly talented software developer and will take the lead on some of Code the Dream’s app development projects for nonprofits and small businesses. Cruz is also a gifted and patient mentor, and we’re very glad to […]

We recently got a nice, unexpected email from one of our recent Code the Dream grads, Jafet, who last year earned a full scholarship to college: “Code the Dream provided me with the foundation that is helping me shape my future. The skills I learned through the classes and the multiple phases of the program […]

Code the Dream grad Ruben Cruz recently accepted a job with Silicon Valley startup Next Request… but fortunately for him he’ll only have to head to the Bay Area for occasional meetings. He’s one of their first software developer hires near his home in Durham, NC, so he’ll still be close by and able to stay […]

After a series of information sessions and a record number of interviews held, Code the Dream’s most diverse cohort yet has been selected: The cohort is split nearly 50 / 50 men and women. Our high school applicants came to us from over a dozen schools across the region. Students range in age from 14 […]

It’s been a busy time for Code the Dream as we prepare for next set of introductory courses! We’ve had more applications than ever before – a record-breaking 170 applicants.  For our team, that’s both exciting and daunting, as we realize we don’t have the resources to serve that many students. We’ve already learned a […]

Crystal started Code the Dream a little under a year ago, and we’re so glad she did. Take two minutes to hear about her experience.

We are very excited to welcome the newest member of our team — Daisy Magnus-Aryitey, who began last week as our new Program Director.  Daisy was one of our first Code the Dream students before spending the last two years as a software developer for Duke University. She came to the U.S. from Ghana when she […]

For many Code the Dream students, the last step before they start getting paid to develop real apps is to take one of their own ideas and turn it into a fully functioning app. It’s a big step requiring a lot of work, but on Saturday Crystal, Narayan, Rondale and Cristian were ready to demonstrate […]

Originally published on August 30 in La Noticia . by Paola Jaramillo  A free program offered by a nonprofit organization that has become a bridge for dozens of young immigrants to integrate into the world of Internet page programming. “The goal of ‘Code the Dream’ is to give immigrants the opportunity to open spaces in […]

When Fernando thinks back to his first days in the United States they weren’t easy. “I cried in the classroom because everyone was speaking English and I didn’t understand what they were saying,” he remembers. Fernando is originally from Honduras, and as a child he didn’t have much access to computers. But he was always interested, […]

Many people pack their bags and sunscreens ready to go on vacation. However a few people are firing up their computers to master a new coding language. Code the Dream is transitioning from teaching its students the language of Ruby on Rails to Javascript. The first class in Durham was hosted this summer where 20 […]

Originally published July 29, 2017 in the News & Observer. Anne Blythe ablythe@newsobserver.com With laptops open, rapt students watched as lines of code stretched across their screens. They were gathered in the American Underground, a startup incubator, to take part in classes organized through Code the Dream, a program set up to steer people from […]

On Saturday, the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh invited Code the Dream to present at its first ever ‘education opportunity fair’. Students shared their experience with Code the Dream and explained a bit of what they had learned. Around 100 people came to their booth seeking for more information about possibly starting a career in tech. Students  were […]

Do you know somebody who has always wanted to learn to code? Maybe they’ve always been really skilled or interested in all things tech, but they’ve never gotten a chance to learn how things work? Whether they’re still in high school or community college or out in the work world and college wasn’t an option […]

The annual Power of Sharing awards gala was established to recognize the tremendous impact local nonprofits are making throughout our community. This year Code the Dream was honored to be invited and selected as the runner-up in the Education category, a wonderful recognition for our work. We are also grateful for the $5,000 award, which will […]

Jafet is a senior just a few days away from graduating from high school. In this episode, Jafet talks about coming from a small town in Mexico when he was seven years old, going to school and serving in ROTC, and getting the chance to learn computer programing through Code the Dream. He recently got a […]

Getting the call for a job interview is an amazing feeling but also nerve racking. An interview can make or break you by determining if you get the job or don’t. Nothing is more frustrating than failing an interview because you weren’t prepared for the question they asked.  Yesterday Code the Dream students and recent […]

This afternoon Jared Siirila was recognized during the 44th Annual Key Volunteer of the Year & Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards Luncheon for volunteering with Code the Dream. Jared has served as an instructor for multiple Code the Dream classes, giving diverse low-income students the opportunity to take their first steps toward a successful career in […]

January marked the beginning of Code the Dream’s Advanced Course in Durham. As students transition from basic programing to more in depth app development technologies, it’s been inspiring to watch them also develop a keener sense that this could be a real future. As Cait recently said, “CTD has been an awesome experience. Ever since […]

Today was the first day of class for our new Beginner Course. We’re excited to have a dozen new students honing their coding skills at the The Iron Yard’s campus in downtown Raleigh, and look forward to seeing what you will accomplish.

       America is going through many changes and amongst those, the tech industry is one. A recent survey showed that the tech industry in the U.S. and Silicon Valley have a huge diversity gap. The lack of diversity is becoming a cultural issue as well as a missed opportunity for those who do […]

Most Code the Dream programs focus on high school students and young adults. But last weekend we were happy to be back at the ‘Kids Code’ event at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. The event uses fun, interactive techniques to give young children a chance to explore and experiment with technology and basic science and […]

Today marks a month with our incredible new students from our class in Durham, NC. This cohort is similar to our previous ones with almost half women and students from all over the world, including Gambia, Guyana, India, Italy, Mexico, and Zimbabwe. We are impressed with what our students have accomplished so far and excited […]

As a graduate of Code the Dream, Cruz Nuñez shared his experience with the North Carolina’s new statewide newspaper, the North State Journal. Cruz describes his experience as an immigrant and the challenges he and other students have in seeking out higher education. Please read the full article here. This article in the North State […]

Witches, superheroes, and a tarantula – oh my! On Saturday Uniting NC staff and alums from Code the Dream shared coding with children at Tech-N-Treat in Raleigh, NC. Students went around to different booths to play games while earning stickers for their ‘passports’ and a few pieces of candy. Code the Dream had two games […]

Code the Dream just finished interviews for our Fall 2016 class in Durham, NC! In this application round we received nearly 50 applicants, interviewed 29 individuals, and accepted 16 students for our beginner coding course.   As a new addition to the staff at Uniting NC, this was my first opportunity to be part of […]

Every week the Raleigh News & Observer honors one great North Carolinian as its Tarheel of the Week. This week it was our Lead Instructor Ramiro Rodriguez! A well-deserved honor for him, as well as a great recognition of all the hard work and successes of our students, volunteers and everyone who makes Code the Dream […]

It’s all fun and games until the fire department shows up. Teachers and RTP staff had to prod hundreds of students to get them out the doors, even with the fire alarm going off and the ceiling sprinklers spraying down a few yards away. Some say it all started when overzealous students began ‘studying’ frisbee […]

On Saturday an enthusiastic group of Code the Dream mentors and students gave up part of their weekend to inspire an even younger generation of future coders and innovators at the first ever Kids Code event at Marbles Kids’ Museum. Using hands-on activities to demonstrate basic coding concepts. Cynthia is only 14 herself but already […]

Jorge moved to the U.S. from Costa Rica just before high school. He quickly settled in, learned English, and ended up taking AP classes and graduating near the top of his class.  But he couldn’t find any way that he could afford college. Eventually Jorge got an entry level job with a local tech company, […]

Beginning last week another talented group of Code the Dream students got to work learning the basics of computer programming. Like previous groups, the class includes young people from all over the world — some born here in the United States, while others have come from Mexico, Pakistan, Nigeria and Guatemala.  Nearly half of our […]

Beginning in March, we will begin a new intro coding course in Raleigh, hosted at HQ Raleigh‘s vibrant startup community. Pass it along: Code the Dream is a free nonprofit program that opens the tech industry to young people from low-income families, including many minority and immigrant communities whose talents have been overlooked by the tech […]

Thank you… … to all our volunteer mentors who are always so giving with their time, … to all our amazing students who work so hard and overcome so much, … and to all our generous supporters without whom this opportunity would not be possible.

Code the Dream Lead Instructor Ramiro Rodriguez and Executive Director Dan Rearick recently had a chance to talk with the nice folks at Fox 50 about why Code the Dream is so important and how it works. The Hola NC episode aired on Sunday, but you can still catch the interview online.

Last night CTD students from all three of our first cohorts got together to hear from employers and fellow students, learn about how their strengths fit into their career goals, and talk about next steps.  Students also got an opportunity usually reserved for corporate and other paying clients — to evaluate their own strengths with Raleigh […]

A team of eight hardworking Code the Dream students and mentors spent over 20 hours last weekend developing an app to improve internet access for the visually impaired. Their efforts were part of a Startup Weekend event hosted at the American Underground in Durham. The team’s app, The Blank App, won the weekend-long competition sponsored by […]

Ofrecen cursos de programación y desarrollo de aplicaciones a jóvenes hispanos http://raleigh.quepasanoticias.com/noticias/ciudad/local/52953-ofrecen-cursos-de-programacion-y-desarrollo-de-aplicaciones-a-jovenes Programa Code the Dream promueve un mayor acceso de las minorías a la industria tecnológica Escrito por Eloy Tupayachi Durham.- Los jóvenes inmigrantes tienen la oportunidad de aprender gratuitamente programación de computadoras y desarrollar aplicaciones para teléfonos móviles mediante el programa Code the Dream,  un […]

The Huffington Post recently ran a story on some of the great initiatives taking off in the Research Triangle, including Code the Dream.   Three Ways Research Triangle Startups Are Tackling America’s Challenges Adam Klein, Chief Strategist at American Underground Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO of Red Hat The startup scene in Raleigh, Durham, and […]

http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-durham-program-helps-immigrants-overcomeobstacles-to-learning-high-tech-skills/Content?oid=4371364 Dreaming in Code By Emily Feng Each weekday, from 9 to 5, Ruben Cruz learns to code. Less than a year ago, Cruz, whose parents immigrated from Mexico, had no programming experience. Now a full-time student at The Iron Yard, an intensive coding academy in downtown Durham, he will graduate with the skill level of […]

Smart hard-working students + top-notch instructors = a lot of learning in just 6 weeks. Big thank you to Ricky Leung and Katherine Guzman for the photos!

Last year, I decided to learn coding. I used online tutorials and youtube videos, made notecards and outlines, but I never felt like I had a grasp of the material until the Code the Dream class. Suddenly, everything that I studied on my own started making sense. Code the Dream has given me a framework […]

This week a remarkable group of young people started our second Code the Dream course in Raleigh, NC, including students from Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Ghana, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Romania and Venezuela. We’ve joked that every class is like a meeting of the United Nations! We also have a number of women in the class, which itself is really […]

Thank you to all of you across North Carolina and across the country whose donations make Code the Dream possible. Your donation will allow us to expand Code the Dream to give more hard-working young people a real shot at the American Dream. I wish you could meet some of our students and see how […]

Our next one-month beginner coding class in January will be hosted at the American Underground in downtown Raleigh. Interested? Get more information and apply here! The one-month course is designed to take students from no experience to coding their first app. In addition, students have the chance to learn from mentors and meet entrepreneurs who […]

Our first Code the Dream class has had some great discussions recently about their goals and what’s next for each of them. Out of the 12 who started in September, 10 successfully built their first app. They’ve provided online feedback on their experience: 100% rated Code the Dream as “a great experience.” In fact, half […]

This weekend a team from Code the Dream was invited to participate in Startup Weekend in Raleigh. The original idea was that we — Jorge, Ruben, Marcel, Keny, Ramiro and I — would just go to help out on other startup ideas. But after a little cajoling, Keny pitched an idea for an app to […]

We reached a first milestone — successfully coding our own fully functioning, attractive, web deployed apps.  When we started a month ago, nobody from our first Code the Dream class had ever coded even the simplest app. In fact, most of us had never even written our first line of code. But after a lot […]

Last week we started our first one-month intro to coding course. The goal is for students to gain exposure to a wide range of basic concepts, all while coding their first app over the course of a month. So far it’s been even better than we expected. We have a group of 12 enthusiastic students, […]

Here’s the problem. Tech startups now embody the American Dream. Young people dream of getting a job with Google or starting the next Twitter. The creativity and entrepreneurial spirit behind these new technologies represent the best of our country. But large and growing parts of America are being left out. In Silicon Valley and across […]