Part of the American dream includes a solid education with the promise of a lucrative job down the road. For students in North Carolina who are undocumented or recipients of DACA, 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 […]
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ABC11: RTP nonprofit teaches people how to write computer code for free
ABC11: RTP nonprofit teaches people how to write computer code for free
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 […]
USA Hello: A personal narrative of working with immigrants
USA Hello: A personal narrative of working with immigrants
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, […]
We Belong, You Belong: The 2019 GSK IMPACT Partner Awards
We Belong, You Belong: The 2019 GSK IMPACT Partner Awards
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, Narayan, a full-stack […]
Code the Dream Welcomes a New Class!
Code the Dream Welcomes a New Class!
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 […]
5 Questions with our New Interns
5 Questions with our New Interns
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 […]
Code with Veni: A Newsletter Dedicated Underrepresented Communities in Tech
Code with Veni: A Newsletter Dedicated Underrepresented Communities in Tech
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, […]
Software company Pendo invests in developing talent, sponsors new hire to coding school
Software company Pendo invests in developing talent, sponsors new hire to coding school
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 […]
I know this firsthand
I know this firsthand
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. […]
Meet Tilneil Gary
Meet Tilneil Gary
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 […]
Congratulations to Jared – Volunteer of the Year!
Congratulations to Jared – Volunteer of the Year!
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 […]
Meet Jonathan Payares
Meet Jonathan Payares
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 […]
TechWire: Code the Dream expands operations to Research Triangle Park
TechWire: Code the Dream expands operations to Research Triangle Park
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 […]
CTD Hackathon
CTD Hackathon
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 […]
Indy Week: Advocates Say Durham’s Experiment Could Be a Model for Statewide Justice Reform
Indy Week: Advocates Say Durham’s Experiment Could Be a Model for Statewide Justice Reform
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 […]
GrepBeat: Code The Dream Is Diversifying Tech With A Focus On Giving Back
GrepBeat: Code The Dream Is Diversifying Tech With A Focus On Giving Back
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 […]
Upstate: An App Making Civic Engagement Easier
Upstate: An App Making Civic Engagement Easier
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 […]
CTD recognized in State of the City address
CTD recognized in State of the City address
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 […]
Upstate opens access to info about state government
Upstate opens access to info about state government
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 […]
Code the Dream Featured in Walter Magazine
Code the Dream Featured in Walter Magazine
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 […]
New video highlights CTD interns’ stories and impact
Opening Up Options for Pedestrians at NC Open Pass Datapalooza
Opening Up Options for Pedestrians at NC Open Pass Datapalooza
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 […]
CTD at All Things Open
CTD at All Things Open
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 […]
‘Call for Code’ Addresses Disaster Preparedness and Relief Efforts
‘Call for Code’ Addresses Disaster Preparedness and Relief Efforts
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 […]