Pinhead: Boot Camp for Computer Coding

24 Jul Pinhead: Boot Camp for Computer Coding

Telluride’s Pinhead Institute off era computer coding boot camps. Week-long course on fundamentals of coding starts Monday, July 27. Ages 7th grade and up.  Sign up here now.

Kids on computer at Pinhead

In a world increasingly dominated by technology and the software that makes it function properly, Pinhead Institute is pleased to offer a new program: Introduction to Computer Coding Boot Camp. The intensive begins July 27.

The week-long course for students 7th grade and higher will equip young coders with skills for our changing, computer-driven world. It is appropriate for those with little or no prior programming experience.

“We need to bring our kids into the 21st century,” said Pinhead’s Executive Director Sarah Holbrooke. “Much like innovations in Telluride at the turn of the last century brought in the Ames alternating current power plant, we can match that innovation with the talent we have here in terms of computer programming and development. We just need to harness our young talent and get them the skills they need.”

To help achieve that goal, Pinhead has enlisted the help of its new Coding Specialist, Austin Cleek. Cleek is a fairly new transplant to Telluride from Tennessee, where he was deeply involved in two efforts to increase youth digital literacy in that state.

“Austin is descended from a NASA engineer, so STEM is in his blood,” explained Holbrooke. “He helped start the Tennessee Code Academy, and also worked with the 100 Girls of Code movement. The kids of southwestern Colorado are lucky he moved to Telluride!”

During the course students can expect to build a video game clone using Scratch, develop a website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and learn traditional computer programming with JavaScript. 

It’s true that not every child will go on to become a professional computer programmer. But Pinhead has created this introductory class to get kids excited about computer technology and help them get their educations off to a strong start. Computer literacy is seen today as integral to comprehending how the world works, just as important as understanding the concepts of gravity, electricity, or that the Earth orbits the Sun.

“Just like English was considered the international language in the 20th century, computer code is the new global language,” Holbrooke added.

Introduction to Computer Coding Boot Camp takes place at Pinhead HQ (at the Cimarron Lodge) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31. Cost of the course is $400. Financial aid is available. Students are reminded to bring their own lunch. To register, go here or arrive about 15 minutes before class is scheduled to begin.