This month, Bold Idea transitioned one of its after-school coding clubs to an online format. It was an experiment to understand if learning computer science would work well if the mentor and student are not in the same room. Bold Idea students at our Plano program site are now learning and interacting with their mentors and each other digitally.

We spoke with one of our youngest students, 10-year old Dalia, about her experience learning computer science for the first time and trying it from home.

What did you think of coding or computer science before Bold Idea? I thought coding would be tricky and difficult to learn.

What have you been the most proud of yourself in Bold Idea? Building the breakout game!

When is it most frustrating in Bold Idea? When a code does not work!

Tell me about working with the mentors. What is that experience like? Working with the mentors is amazing! The mentors are kind and make me want to code more. They all make the experience equally fun!

How has Bold Idea changed you? Bold Idea changed the way I think of Computer Science.

Why is it important that we bring this program to students your age? Students my age may think that they are too young to try coding. I learned that is not the case!

What do you want other kids, and even girls, to know about coding and computer science? Age or gender does not matter when it comes to learning how to code.

What do you believe about computer science that you didn’t before? I believe that Computer Science can be used to solve many complex problems.

What do you think of yourself and your abilities now? I am way better at coding and critical thinking than before I started with Bold Idea.