Code The Dream: Coding Classes and Paid Internship

Code the Dream (CTD) is a unique non-profit program that provides free training in software development followed by a paid internship.  The goal of our program is to help undocumented young people, refugees, and others with career barriers to land jobs in tech.  Our mission and work is summarized in this 1-minute video.  Our process is outlined in more detail below, and there is lots of info on the Class page of our website, www.codethedream.org/classes.

Seeking students for upcoming CTD class!
We are currently recruiting for our next class, which will be an online class and will begin the week of May 18.  Can you help us identify students? The ideal candidate is someone who:

• is interested in computer programming and has already started to explore this interest in some way (though coding experience is not required);
• has had limited job opportunities in the past, perhaps due to lack of a college education, immigration status, being a full-time parent, or incarceration;
• is highly motivated to learn a new skill;
• is self-driven and willing to take initiative on self-paced learning and problem solving. 

Requirements
Students should:

• Have regular and reliable access to a computer and the internet (if this is a barrier, contact us and we will see if we can work with the individual to identify donations);
• Speak at least intermediate English;
• Be at least 18 years old (though we will occasionally consider younger applicants);
• Be prepared to spend approximately 20 hours per week on the class

Coding experience is not required, but we have found that our students have much higher chance of success if they have already demonstrated interest in and aptitude for computer programming, even if it is only through free youtube tutorials.

Location
Code the Dream is based in Durham, NC, but our remote classes open to students throughout the country, as the classes are all online.

Application & Selection

1. Step 1. Apply! Fill out the Interest Application; the application deadline is March 29 (apply here). We will soon be posting an informational video and announce a Live Q&A session. (Follow Code the Dream on Instagram here and Facebook here).
2. Step 2. Pre-work. Following the application deadline, we will send out “Prework” which potential students must complete before being accepted into the class.
3. Step 3. Interview. Following completion of the Prework, remaining applicants will participate in interviews and then Code the Dream staff will make final selection and notify students approximately 2-3 weeks before class begins. Code the Dream classes are very competitive (e.g. 200 applications for 35 slots). 

Tentative Dates (subject to change)

Activity	Date
Live Q&A Session	March 26
Application deadline	March 29
Pre-work assignment sent out	March 30
Pre-work deadline	April 18
Interviews	April 13-30
Decisions	Week of May 4
Class start date	Week of May 18

The Process
Code the Dream students take six months of online classes in web/mobile development. Once students learn basic programming skills, they have the opportunity to apply for a paid internship with Code the Dream Labs.  CTD Labs is our in-house software development shop which provides interns a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience while giving back to the community.  In CTD Labs, interns build apps for small businesses, local government, start-ups, and nonprofits that support vulnerable communities.  CTD Labs has built apps to support organizations that work with homeless families, low-income mothers, and migrant farmworkers, to name a few.  You can learn more about our classes here, and check out some of our projects here.

The Outcomes
Code the Dream powerfully combines two elements – one of the world’s most highly sought-after skill sets with a unique model that gives students real-world experience in a way that allows them to stand out to both universities and potential employers.  On a practical level, “tech” -and computer programming specifically- is uniquely open.  To be a teacher, a lawyer or a doctor, you need one or more expensive degrees.  But to be a programmer, you only need talent and skills; if you have those, few employers care about the piece of paper.  Students from our program have gone on to work as software developers for IBM, AT&T, Duke University, and others.

At Code the Dream, our mission is simple: we aim to build systemic access to economic opportunity by providing a unique and durable path to success for a growing community of diverse young people from low-income and/or immigrant backgrounds.  We are looking to connect especially with undocumented youth, DACA recipients, and refugees, but the application process is open to all.