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 […]
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Ribbon of Hope grant supports CTD rural expansion
Ribbon of Hope grant supports CTD rural expansion
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 […]
Welcome Cruz
Welcome Cruz
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 […]
Congrats Jafet, and thank you!
Congrats Jafet, and thank you!
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 […]
Ruben Goes to Silicon Valley
Ruben Goes to Silicon Valley
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 […]
Code the Dream’s Newest Cohort
Code the Dream’s Newest Cohort
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 […]
More Applicants Than Ever Before!
More Applicants Than Ever Before!
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’s story
Crystal’s story
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.
Welcome Daisy!
Welcome Daisy!
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 […]
Students demo new apps in Raleigh
Students demo new apps in Raleigh
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 […]
La Noticia Newspaper: Free programing classes offered for immigrant youth
La Noticia Newspaper: Free programing classes offered for immigrant youth
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 […]
CTD grad goes from struggling with English to working as a programmer at Duke University
CTD grad goes from struggling with English to working as a programmer at Duke University
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, […]
Javascript Class in Durham
Javascript Class in Durham
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 […]
N&O: Code the Dream helps immigrant and refugee communities give back and diversify tech world
N&O: Code the Dream helps immigrant and refugee communities give back and diversify tech world
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 […]
Students share their experiences at the Mexican Consulate education fair
Students share their experiences at the Mexican Consulate education fair
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 […]
New beginner class in Durham
New beginner class in Durham
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 […]
Code the Dream receives Power of Sharing award
Code the Dream receives Power of Sharing award
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 […]
Meet Jafet: Recent CTD grad and soon to be college freshman
Meet Jafet: Recent CTD grad and soon to be college freshman
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 […]
CTD students prep for the real world.
CTD students prep for the real world.
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 […]
Recognizing a Mentor Who Has Gone Above and Beyond
Recognizing a Mentor Who Has Gone Above and Beyond
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 […]
Students Find Their Niche in Advanced Course
Students Find Their Niche in Advanced Course
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 […]
Welcoming new students in Raleigh
Welcoming new students in Raleigh
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.
The American Dream for all of us
The American Dream for all of us
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 […]
Reaching them (really) young!
Reaching them (really) young!
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 […]