GLAD’s First Coding Course!

Teaching web development on Ben’s back patio.

Last week marked the final session of GLAD’s first 10-week “Introduction to Web Development” course. Throughout the class, students learned the foundations of web technology: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. And by the end, each had put together a professional portfolio site that represented their newfound skills.

Students helping each other out with their code.

While it is easy to get excited about learning new skills and seeing real results, the biggest takeaway from the class was seeing the growth of our GLAD community. Our cohort included immigrants and refugees from Afghanistan and Russia, and it was life-giving to hear the stories each person brought to the table. Every class session ended with a meal together, ranging from Afghan bolani, to Mediterranean gyros, to Indian curry, to chicken kebobs. Enjoying food with others has such a profound affect on building community, and these meals brought fun and laughter to the learning experience.

Teaching one of our classes at an Afghan student’s home.

We also hosted a number of volunteers throughout the class, with several working professionals coming to present on their work in the field of technology. And several others came to prepare our meals and enjoy the fellowship over food. We even had a remote tutor joining us from Refcode in Atlanta! It was so encouraging to see so many partnering with GLAD’s mission, bringing their desire to be a blessing to others, and being blessed in return.

As for what’s next, students graduating from this introductory course will be deciding if the next step - an intensive 3-month coding boot camp - is a good fit for them. Those that choose to continue and participate in the bootcamp will be fully trained and ready to start applying for jobs as an entry level web developer.