Blog

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]