The Latest From Code Savvy

Our newsletters highlight a variety of people, organizations, and resources that are doing work to broaden participation and expand equitable and engaging computer science and STEM opportunities. We are honored to work in this space along with so many talented and passionate individuals and want to help bring attention to their work.

This week’s focus is AAPI STEM Innovators

Recently in the news and online there has been a growing movement to fight against anti-Asian racism and #StopAsianHate. At Code Savvy we want to support this growing movement by highlighting some Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals who have made great contributions to the field of STEM.

Jerry Yang

If you are old enough to remember the start of the internet, one of the first search engines you probably used was Yahoo! Jerry Yang is a tech entrepreneur who Co-Founded Yahoo and led a number of initiatives including the Alibaba Group. Mr. Yang left Yahoo in 2012, but has stayed involved in technology through serving on the board of directors for Workgroup, as well as investing in new innovations through his venture AME Cloud Ventures. He is also a philanthropist who focuses on higher education and the arts. Mr. Yang’s contributions made a huge impact on the direction the internet and other technologies would take.

Reshma Saujani

Reshma Saujani is a politician, lawyer, civil servant, and more. Throughout her work visiting schools, she was inspired start the nonprofit organization Girls Who Code, which focuses on increasing the number of girls interested in computer science. At the 2016 TED Conference, Mrs. Saujani shared a TED Talk encouraging young girls to be brave and curious exploring computer science. Mrs. Saujani’s nonprofit organization and related work have inspired many young girls to try out computer science and see themselves as computer scientists.

Colonel Ellison Onizuka

Colonel Ellison Onizuka was a distinguished pilot in the Air Force, serving as a flight test engineer and test pilot. Colonel Onizuka later joined NASA as part of the astronaut class of 1978, which was the first to include women, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans. Colonel Onizuka became the first Asian American in space during a Space Shuttle Discovery Mission in 1985. Tragically in 1987, Colonel Onizuka lost his life on the Space Shuttle Challenger as it exploded shortly after launch.

There are many more AAPI individuals who have made contributions both large and small towards furthering the field of STEM. PBS recently shared a series of videos highlighting these and others, we encourage you to take some time to watch and explore more.

As you are exploring and practicing your own coding skills, try making a project that highlights the work of someone from the AAPI community, or spreads positive messages around #StopAsianHate. Be sure to share anything you create!

share your CS to Go projects!

How to Share: We invite CS to Go with Code Savvy participants to consider sharing your projects publicly with the Code Savvy and greater #MNCodes community via video with Flipgrid. We can’t wait to see what you create! Please be sure to follow online safety guidelines and get adult permission before sharing. You can find our Privacy Policy here.

Catch Up on Past Weeks’ CS to Go and Bytes of Inspiration Videos

CS to Go and Bytes of Inspiration with Code Savvy are our response to the current health crisis — Code Savvy’s programs have come together to share weekly youth- and educator-centered videos that focus on creating new things with computer science. You can find all CS to Go and Bytes of Inspiration videos under Distance Learning on our website!

MNCodes Happenings

Code Savvy’s MNCodes Educator Training Program and Opportunities

21-22 MNCodes Coding in the Classroom Leadership Cohort Applications now Open!

Each school year, Code Savvy’s Educator Training Program hosts a year long cohort of educators who meet monthly to explore computer science education. The MNCodes Coding in the Classroom Cohort has been running for six years, and has partnered with teachers and districts across the state. Applications are now open for the next year’s cohort, and are due May 31st. You can find further details and registration information on the cohort website. You won’t want to miss this great opportunity to network with other educators and dive deep into computer science education!

Summer Online Courses

This summer Code Savvy is offering a number of online courses to help educators who are interested in Computer Science. Courses will take place online, and will be a mix of synchronous and asynchronous work. This summer the following courses will be offered:

Participants will be able to earn CEU’s for their time, and Early Bird pricing is We hope to see you there!

CS Integration Curriculum Showcase

As part of the MNCodes Cohort, educators are asked to create lessons that integrate computer science with another curricular content area such as literacy, math, science, or others, and align to both CSTA and MN Academic Standards. We will use this space to regularly showcase various curriculum resources that have been created by current or former MNCodes Cohort members.

Coordinates and Scratch Mazes

This project helps younger students become familiar with coordinate grids while building mazes in Scratch. Check out the lesson resources here. To see other projects that integrate CS into core content areas, you can browse our database on the MNCodes website.

Coffee + CS Ed Zoom Call

Looking for more ways to connect with other educators interested in CS Ed? Or do you have ideas to share, questions or want to try out a resource in the company of other K12 CS Educators? Check out Coffee + CSEd Chats – every Friday at 8am, CT. Anyone is welcome to join! Details and Zoom info can be found here.

Summer Activities for Kids

Code Savvy Summer Camps at The Works Museum

Through a partnership with The Works® Museum, we are able to offer these half-day programming camps for kids ages 11-13. These camps will take place in person at The Works Museum.

Beginning Thunkable

Learn to make mobile apps with Thunkable using drag and drop code blocks! You will create a variety of apps using components like translator and image recognizer, and put together clicking games such as space invaders!

Thunkable apps can be loaded onto Android or iOS phones. We will be using a simulator, phones are NOT required for the camp.

When: M-Th, July 12-15, 9a.m. – 12p.m.

Website Design

Learn how to construct a website using HTML, styling it with CSS, and making it interactive using Javascript. You will leave the class with published web pages!

When: M-Th, August 2 – 5, 9a.m. – 12p.m.

More information!

CoderDojos

This summer, we will have monthly sessions rather than bi-weekly. Our summer schedule is now available here. Our next virtual event is this Saturday, June 26! Registration opens June 13 when you can Register Here. Hope to see many of you there. Sign up for email notices – CodeDojoTC and Rebecca CoderDojo.

Technovation[MN]

Technovation Girls is hosting a coding club called the “Grandmom’s Coding Club” for Technovation girls, parents or grandparents The goal is to help students with their ideation and coding journey with a focus on climate issues.

Details:

Who is it for? Girls ages 8-18 and their parents, grandparents, guardians…

When does it start? June 1st

How often does the club meet? Weekly on Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm PST (4pm CT)

Coding Languages: App Inventor and Thunkable

You can find out more about it here and complete an interest form here.

VR Summer Camps @REM5

REM5 has opened two new summer camps in August.

VR: Entertainment and Beyond

Dive into the wide world of virtual reality with both feet in this one of a kind camp. Each day we’ll have a different theme that will expand your understanding of virtual reality and its impact on entertainment, education, sports, travel, product design, art, and more. No experience with VR is necessary because we’ll start with the basics, including how VR works and how to properly use the equipment. By the end of the week, you’ll be a VR expert.

Ages: 8-13 (suggested)

When: Aug 2-5, 9am-noon

Register here

VR Design and Creation

Virtual reality is creating new industries and disrupting businesses like fashion, art, industrial and commercial design, and manufacturing. In this camp, you’ll learn to use tools everyone from artists to engineers are using to streamline design in the real world at companies like Ford and 3M. By the end of camp, you’ll have 3D designs to show off in virtual reality, augmented reality, and even a 3D printed model! Join us and learn the VR skills and industries of tomorrow.

Ages: 8-13 (suggested)

When: Aug 9-11, 9am-noon

Register here

Best Prep Summer Offers 2021 Minnesota Business Venture Camp

Minnesota Business Venture – MBV is a virtual four-day business and career development summer camp that brings together students in grades 9-12 to learn business, leadership, and financial literacy skills.

This is a great opportunity to network with students from across the country, hear from business owners, build skills needed for your resume and future job, learn information you’ll need for college applications, and help you learn about the career you’d like in the future.

Visit https://bestprep.org/minnesota-business-venture/ for more information.

<run>:\the\world Machine Learning Virtual Summer Camp

The School of Mathematics and the School of Statistics at the University of MN is offering the <run>:\the\world Machine Learning camps, a unique opportunity to connect with other high school students who share the same interests, and learn cool programming and math techniques that make a difference in the world.

Dates:

June 14-18: Girls camp (girl-Identified, nonbinary, transgender girls, trans femme)

June 21-25: All Genders Camp (people of any and all gender identities)

June 28-July 2: Advanced All Genders Camp (people of any and all gender identities)

Time: 9 am to 4 pm

Location: Virtual Via Zoom

Registration deadline is May 30.

Visit https://cse.umn.edu/mcfam/theworld-machine-learning-virtual-summer-camp for more information and to apply.

More Code Savvy

About Code Savvy

Code Savvy empowers youth and educators with the knowledge, skills, and support to create with technology while interrupting and counteracting gender, racial, and socioeconomic gaps in computing. We create opportunities for hands-on computer science learning that inspires learners to transform the future.

Visit our website to learn more →