Help Us Celebrate Our Birthday

On August 20, 2015, Bold Idea became an official public charity with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. Since then (and even earlier), our organization has helped 400 students create their bold ideas as a team through the power of technology. 

In fact, the birthday cake above was coded in Javascript by Hope Ehlers, a Bold Idea student for the past two years. 

Give $20 on the 20th

Twenty dollars. What does that mean to you? Dinner and a movie? A few lattes? The latest bestseller?

But when hundreds of people put $20 into a charitable fund, just imagine the possibilities!

When you donate $20 on the 20th of each month (or whenever you can) to Bold Idea, you can help us mentor more young coders like Hope. Indeed, it can provide the resources a coding team needs to be successful: laptops, resource books, web hosting, training for volunteer mentors, and a Demo Day stage to share their projects.

So, please, this month, skip a few lattes. Donate $20 on the 20th!

Your support really means a lot.

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"I've enjoyed Bold Idea because I like programming, and I made a lot of new friends. Programming needs a lot of creativity in order to actually program. And it makes me more of a better student, because I can take what I learned, like making a cake, and code a birthday present." 

- Hope Ehlers, 7th grade

> See Hope's birthday cake come alive!

A Year of Going Bold

An introduction to the Bold Idea fiscal year 2017 annual report.

Dear Bold Idea Friends,

Bold Idea strives to be a forward-thinking organization that prepares students in the Dallas community for 21st century success — and the progress we have made in fiscal year 2017 is helping us reach that goal.

With cooperation from parents and principal Rachel Moon, Bold Idea piloted the ideaSpark and CS First programs at Rosemont School in Dallas ISD - our first school partnership. Bold Idea served 32 students across 24 weeks at the elementary school in north Oak Cliff.

Support from new partners Microsoft, Pivotal Labs and Alliance Data enabled us to greatly expand Demo Demo — giving students a larger stage and screen. Student teams presented 43 creative projects, including mobile apps and websites.

After six months of hard work, 8th graders Shelby and Meredith presented their website ‘Service Match’ to 500+ Microsoft employees. The website connects nonprofits to student groups in need of service projects, built entirely by the two young coders.

In January, we introduced a curriculum for our youngest students in grades 3 – 5. The CS First program is designed by Google to introduce core computer science concepts for students with varied interests, like sports, art and games. Coinciding with the program launch was our new partnership with the Wesley-Rankin Community Center in west Dallas, where Bold Idea served 16 Hispanic students meeting at the Center after school.

Together, We Create

In a world dependent on computing, Bold Idea is giving students real-world experience creating their bold ideas as a team through technology — supported by professional engineers and creatives.

Today, most kids are going online to play video games. They download apps and connect with friends on their mobile devices. Bold Idea students are creating their own games and apps, using problem solving skills, creativity and computer programming skills. Through a highly-crafted curriculum and dedicated mentors, we teach students to create rather than just consume technology, and turn their device time into valuable teaching time.

#GoBold

At this time last year, we challenged our students and community to Go Bold — our theme in 2017. Together, we stepped up to the challenge.

• Our students went bold. Teams of young coders created over 650 computing projects.
• Our volunteer mentors went bold. Students received 3,948 hours of mentoring total, from a team of 67 mentors.
• Our donors went bold. Generous corporations, foundations and individuals gave over $66,000 in monetary and in-kind gifts to Bold Idea.

Growing our organization to meet the needs of 21st century students requires tireless dedication, leadership, vision and significant investment. Thank you for joining us on this journey — and for supporting Bold Idea.

On behalf of the Bold Idea Board of Directors and staff, it is my honor to present our 2017 Annual Report.

With gratitude,
Robyn Brown
Co-Founder and CEO

Open Positions on Bold Idea Board of Directors

Founded in 2015, Bold Idea is an education nonprofit based in Dallas that combines computer science, mentoring, and team-based learning to empower a diverse student population in Dallas and Collin Counties. Premised on the belief that computer science is foundational knowledge that ALL students need, Bold Idea's mission is to develop and empower young minds to execute their bold ideas as a team through the power of technology. Program participants learn computer science and 21st century skills through hands-on computing projects with support from trained, technical-skilled mentors.

Bold Idea's core educational programs, ideaSpark and CS First, serve boys and girls ages 8–16 of all demographics and socio-economic backgrounds. Delivered through both open-enrollment sessions and collaborations with schools and community centers, students learn and apply computer science skills via project-based learning. At the end of these after-school programs, students also develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and perseverance.

Board of Directors Recruitment

Bold Idea is a public charity with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Bold Idea’s immediate governing and fund development responsibilities rely on the support of a separate Board of Directors. The Board supports the work of Bold Idea and provides mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by Bold Idea’s president, the Board-President relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected.

Specific Board Member responsibilities

Leadership, governance and oversight

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the President as s/he develops and implements Bold Idea’s strategic plan
• Approve Bold Idea’s annual budget, audit/progress reports and material business decisions; being informed of, and meeting all, legal and fiduciary responsibilities
• Represent Bold Idea to stakeholders; acting as an ambassador for the organization
• Ensure Bold Idea’s commitment to a diverse board and staff that reflects the communities Bold Idea serves
• Determine which programs are consistent with the organization’s mission and monitor their effectiveness
• Contribute to an annual performance evaluation of the President
• Assist the President and Board Chair in identifying and recruiting other Board Members
• Partner with the Board Chair and other Board Members to ensure that board resolutions are carried out
• Serve on committees or task forces and taking on special assignments

Fundraising

Board members will consider Bold Idea a philanthropic priority and make annual gifts that reflect that priority. So that Bold Idea can credibly solicit contributions from foundations, organizations and individuals, Bold Idea requires that 100 percent of members make an annual contribution that is commensurate with their capacity, but no less than $2,500.

Board terms/participation

Bold Idea’s Board Members serve a two-year term to be eligible for reappointment for one additional term. Board meetings are held bi-monthly and committee meetings will be held in coordination with full board meetings. Board Members are also expected to attend at least one program event during the year.

Qualifications

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about Bold Idea’s mission. Selected Board Members will have achieved leadership stature in business, philanthropy, education or the nonprofit sector. His/her accomplishments will allow him/her to attract other well-qualified, high-performing Board Members.

At this time, Bold Idea is seeking Board Members with specific experience in at least one of the following areas:

• fund development
• education
• strategic planning
• communications
• marketing
• budgeting
• finance

Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications:

• Extensive professional experience with significant executive leadership accomplishments in business, education, philanthropy or the nonprofit sector
• A commitment to and understanding of Bold Idea’s beneficiaries, preferably based on experience
• Savvy diplomatic skills and a natural affinity for cultivating relationships and persuading, convening, facilitating and building consensus among diverse individuals
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility and a passion for improving the lives of Bold Idea’s beneficiaries

Service on Bold Idea’s Board of Directors is without remuneration, except for administrative support, travel and accommodation costs in relation to Board Members’ duties.

Nomination Process

Submit your resume and one-page cover letter outlining interest and qualifications to Robyn Brown, robyn@boldidea.org.

Sponsor Spotlight: Alliance Data

We are proud to announce our Powered By sponsor for Demo Day Spring 2017: Alliance Data! 

Based in Plano, Texas, Alliance Data consists of three businesses that together employ more than 17,000 associates at approximately 100 locations worldwide. Though you might not know the name, you may have seen what the company does. Alliance Data is the engine behind loyalty and marketing campaigns for more than 1,000 consumer-facing companies worldwide across all industries: retail, travel, pharmaceutical, financial services, auto, and more.

The company's data-driven insight enables it to build dynamic and creative loyalty marketing programs and strengthen and deepen relationships between its clients and their customers. In today’s changing-by-the-minute digital landscape, that’s more crucial than ever.

Community impact
Alliance Data actively invests in the community to create a stronger, more engaged workforce and a vibrant, more sustainable society.

At Bold Idea, we are excited to kick off our collaboration with Alliance Data this month. The company's support of our third Demo Day event will have a huge impact on the students we serve in the ideaSpark program!

Where to find us this spring

If you didn’t catch us at talkSTEM’s Pi Day 2017 in the Dallas Arts District, have no fear. Bold Idea is participating in more community events this spring — plus, offering a few of our own. Here is what we have planned so far:

With community partners

City of Frisco 25th Annual Easter Eggstravaganza

Ages 12 and under, and their families, are invited to a bring their Easter baskets to this 25th Annual event on the fields at Toyota Soccer Center, located behind Toyota Stadium on Main Street. There will be more than 80,000 Easter eggs up for grabs. Enjoy bounce houses, face painting and photos with the Easter bunny. Bold Idea will join other youth organizations and offer some hands-on activities for young students. We’ll be making binary bracelets and learning how to encode numbers in binary. Our team will also be available to share info on the next semester of CS First and ideaSpark.

• When: Saturday, April 8; 1–4pm
• Where: Toyota Soccer Center, 9200 World Cup Way, Frisco (Fields 10-14)
• Cost: FREE

Learn more at Frisco Fun's website.

Microsoft YouthSpark Live

A special day-long event where more than 1,500 students in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area will get to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields — and have fun doing it. The event includes technical training, educational sessions, empowerment seminars, gaming sessions, music and entertainment, and giveaways. Bold Idea is leading the coding breakout classes in the afternoon. Learn more here.

• When: Saturday, April 15; 9am–4pm
• Where: Morton Meyerson Symphony, 2301 Flora St, Dallas
• Cost: Free

Bold Idea events

Volunteer Social Hour

Bold Idea volunteers — and anyone interested in volunteering — are invited to our first Social Hour. If that’s you, come by to meet the rest of the team, share ideas from your program site, network about opportunities and grow your social circle.

• When: Thursday, March 23; 7–10pm
• Where: Eastwood’s, 3407 McKinney Ave, Dallas
• Cost: Happy hour prices for drinks and food all night

ideaSpark Demo Day

While gaining valuable public speaking experience, our students have an opportunity to share their creative technology projects with family and the community. It's a showcase of the incredible talent and hard work these young coders have put in across 14 weeks with their mentors and teams.

• When: Saturday, May 13; 12–3pm
• Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Richardson Heights Village, 100 S Central Expy, Richardson
• Learn more: https://boldidea.org/demo-day

Every Coder Has a Story - Meet the Students Solving Our Everyday Problems

Dialexa, a Dallas technology research, design and creation firm, recently opened its doors to our Union Coffee ideaSpark team, giving students an inside look at real-world tech development. Organized by two of the team’s mentors, Dialexa engineers Luke Gordon and Christian Ayala, the event included a demo through Dialexa’s downtown-Dallas workspace and introductions with several engineers on staff. Most impressive was a walk through of the company’s hardware lab and a demo of several drones. 

The student team also had the opportunity to impress Dialexa, as well as their families, with 5-minute demos of their mobile app projects. Here’s a summary of the projects, which each started with a relatable, everyday problem that could be solved using software.

Meet Elliott — Connecting teachers to substitutes

“What’s one problem that every school faces? The subs don’t know what to do,” 5th grader Elliott of Dallas starts out his pitch. His solution - a mobile app interface for teachers to share lesson plans and substitutes to plan out their school day. The app is called ‘Teacher Station’ and the benefits would also reach students, who could have a more productive day, as well.

Meet Damian — Making sleep time more peaceful

Damian, a 5th from DeSoto, shared that it’s often hard to get to sleep when irritating sounds, like air conditioners, TVs or dogs, are heard in the background. His mobile app allows users to select from a playlist of peaceful music to drown out the unwanted noise, while setting a timer for the music’s duration. 

Meet Fallon, Meredith and MaKayla — Answering the question “What do I wear today?”

The team’s three girls, who range from 4th grade to 9th grade, agreed on one common problem: With the ever changing weather in North Texas, every morning offered the same challenge of deciding what to wear based on the weather. And simply knowing it was 50 degrees outside didn’t offer much help. Each girl took a different approach to the solution in her own mobile app - from pulling external weather information into the app’s back-end system to matching a user’s wardrobe to the temperature and offering options.

We also interviewed the team early in their ideation phase to follow the problem-solving process:

Every Coder Has a Story - Meet Ella, Issac, Muhammad and Adrian

A website can offer a new approach to solving problems. That’s what the elementary team at the Frisco Athletic Center is learning this semester in ideaSpark. The team, comprised of Ella, Isaac, Muhammad and Adrian, have tackled school bullying and encouraged reading in their team website projects. The students as a team have learned to discuss problems they face, ask questions on what they don’t know, wireframe their webpages using pencil and paper, and build webpages using their new HTML and CSS skills.

Book recommendations

Like many kids their age, this team gets excited about all things Star Wars, Minecraft and Pokemon Go. That sparked an idea to create a website that recommends books to kids based on their interests. Ella is in charge of the homepage, and she’s using her design and CSS skills to make an engaging landing page. Users start by selecting their interest, which will direct them to a student page with books on that topic — Minecraft (Adrian), Star Wars (Isaac) and Pokemon Go! (Muhammad). 

Here is a video of Issac describing the team's website project:

All four students on the team are most excited about the design part, which uses CSS or cascading style sheets.

“I like to style the websites. So after we make them, we get to design them. I use CSS and we type in the code for it and play around with it,” Ella said.

“I’ve enjoyed that I could make other things, like color the words or put things in the middle. I can make the background a color, make things move when I hover over them or bring people to other pages when you click on them,” added Adrian.

In their first project together, the team tackled school bullying with each student taking a different topic like verbal abuse or cyber bullying. 

2015: A Year of Growth for Bold Idea

2015 has been a remarkable year for Bold Idea.

This time last year, our organization was just an idea to help a new generation learn how to build technology through code. Embodying the spirit of our mission statement, we spent most of 2015 building a team to make our own bold idea a reality. Support from our donors, partners, volunteers, family and friends this year has been invaluable. As the formative year of our organization, we needed people to not only believe in our mission statement but to also support and embody our values.

At Bold Idea, we are passionate about developing and empowering young minds toimpact their world together as builders of technology. That’s why our mentors work alongside them to develop their skills in coding, computer science, teamwork and problem solving. As a result, our most creative and passionate minds work as young coders today and become bold leaders tomorrow.

We strive to design programs that further this vision.

• Our collaboration with AT&T and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas in 2015 allowed us to pilot our first multi-day workshop with a focus on web development for social good – Geek for Good.
• In January we launch a new Bold Idea program: ideaSpark, providing 1st-8th grade students education in computer science for community problem solving.

And we’re not doing it alone. Over 25 volunteers have signed on to mentor students and support program development. We also have support from tech companies like Bottle Rocket and VMware, community groups like the Frisco Parks & Recreation Department and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and university programs like UTD’s School of Arts, Technology and Emerging Communications.

We hope you will continue to support Bold Idea in 2016 - both as a financial partner and an advocate in the community. We are looking forward to another year of growth for Bold Idea, and another year of inspired code from our students.

On behalf of all of us on the Board of Directors, THANK YOU and best wishes in the new year!

- Ben

ideaSpark Fall Preview

Bold Idea has been hard at work over the past five months building ideaSpark — our after-school program that combines education in computer science, coding and community impact.

This fall semester we're offering 1st – 8th grade students a preview of the program — for free. Parents are welcome to sign up their kids for one or multiple Saturdays. Learn more

Bold Idea Granted 501(c)(3) Status

We are happy to announce that Bold Idea is now officially a public charity with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.

What does this mean? Contributions donated to Bold Idea, both financial and in-kind, are fully tax deductible, retroactive to the organization establishment date of April 13, 2015. Your employer may also having a matching program for contributions or volunteer time.

Above all, this designation will further our ability to deliver on the Bold Idea mission: to develop and empower young minds to execute bold ideas as a team through the power of coding.

Technology innovation is critical to enabling social good for our communities. Our mentors work alongside students to build their skills in coding, computer science, creative confidence, teambuilding, problem solving and social entrepreneurship. As a result, we can put our most creative and passionate minds to work as young change agents today and bold leaders tomorrow.

With your help, we are making that vision a reality — starting with students here in the Dallas area. Thank you for your continued support.

Chirag Dedicates His Birthday to Bold Idea

One of the greatest benefits of community is support when you need it. Bold Idea friend Chirag Gupta recently dedicated his 26th birthday to our organization in a highly successful crowdfunding campaign. Run through Dallas-based NachoBirthday.com, Chirag spent a month actively sharing the fundraising plea and details on Bold Idea through his social media network. Word spread and after 30 days Chirag hit his $1,000 goal.

The director of North Dallas Coworking (NoD) and serial entrepreneur was influential in the early days of Bold Idea and continues to drum up support as we grow. We’re incredibly humbled and thankful to Chirag for asking his family, friends and professional network to support Bold Idea.

We also want to offer a huge ‘thank you’ to the 80+ people who donated to the campaign. Every donation will go a long way in helping us put Dallas’ most creative and passionate young minds to work as change agents today and bold leaders tomorrow.

Want to continue supporting Bold Idea?

• Host your own NachoBirthday campaign on your birthday. Connect with the founder Ryan to get started: ryan@nachobirthday.com.
• Donate directly to Bold Idea online through DonorBox.
• Volunteer! We’re currently needing mentors for ideaSpark teams and developers to join our Program Design Team. Learn more here.

Geek for Good 2015

At Geek for Good 2015, 24 Girl Scout Cadettes from the Dallas area built websites about issues in their community and the world. The three-day coding camp was a months-long collaboration between Bold Idea, AT&T and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas.

Our goal was to help the girls, ages 11 – 13, learn how technology can address social issues and then give them the coding basics to do just that. After some hands-on experience with front-end web development, including HTML and CSS, girls worked in teams of three or four to build a website about a social issue, including bullying and world hunger.

Each girl was responsible for building one page for the team website. With a little HTML code and CSS, they created a menu that linked each of their pages to one another. This is the sixth web development workshop we’ve organized (though the longest), and each time the girls continue to amaze us with how much they’re able to learn and accomplish in such a short amount of time.

The girls connected to their team members quickly. Although teambuilding games and grouped tables helped, it was the goal of building something about a shared passion that brought the girls together. “I love my team and our work. We did an amazing job and worked hard!” said 6th-grader Caris.

Other girls like 8th-grader Hope enjoyed the hands-on coding and fully understanding “what happens to make a website.” We’re encouraged that most want to keep learning web development and to stay challenged with more CSS and JavaScript.

Teams worked alongside mentors, including web developers, professionals at AT&T and even computer science students at the University of Texas at Dallas. A few even represented local chapters of Women Who Code and Girl Develop It.

On the final day, the teams presented what they learned about their cause and how they shared that message through their website. Day 3 also included a tour of the AT&T Foundry in Plano and a panel presentation with AT&T women leaders.

Geek for Good represents what is fundamental to our mission. Rather than prepare young people for their future, we want give them the coding skills and confidence to be young innovators now.

These days, pre-teen and teen girls are embracing the name "geek girl," and we’re excited to help encourage that movement. Geeks are tech-savvy. Not just active users of technology, they are also builders of that technology. When girls realize they can build a website, mobile app or video game to make the world a better place, they are motivated to learn and wear the ‘geek’ name proudly.

Huge shout out to the following people who collaboratively made Geek for Good 2015 possible:

• Our event sponsor AT&T Women of Technology and our project collaborators, Kelly Chrietzberg, Lisa Hood and Yvette Caudle
• Stacy Cushing and Karlynda Poage from Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas
• Team mentors Justin Noel, Desiree’ Bryant, Carole Bennett, Barbara Theulen, Abby Miller, Aidan Dewar, Marta Soncodi, Amelia Moore, Kris MacKay, Poornima Bynagari, Matt Sutton and Julie Rauer
• Guest speakers Representative Linda Koop, Candy Conway, Marachel Knight, Evie McGerr and Sandy Hall

The Path to Bold Idea

By Robyn Brown

I often get asked about the origin story for Bold Idea. To be honest, I struggle to provide an answer — mostly because it was not a simple, one-time "aha" moment, but rather a long series of events and serendipitous conversations. Even today, the organization has evolved from my original idea, and it's my hope that it will continue to evolve for the better as we expand our leadership team and test the program.

Rather than provide a linear timeline of events, I'll touch on the foundational elements of our organization and why I believe so strongly in them.

Mentoring

Often what we create and become as an adult is what we wish we had as a young person. For me, it was a mentor. I wish, as a teen, that I had an older sister or a young woman to encourage me, to show me that there was more to life after High School. I had no clue what opportunities were possible for me and little confidence in my abilities.

Could I be that mentor to a younger person, maybe a 16-year-old with unlimited creativity and courage, who just needs encouragement? And that’s what I did. For the past ten years, I've served as a mentor to dozens of teen and college-age girls as a Girl Scout troop leader. We go on college tours, tent camp, out to dinner or simply meet at Starbucks to talk about life and school. We even went on a dinosaur dig once — how cool is that?! They know I have their back and would go out of my way for them.

It’s my firm belief that any student — girl or boy — deserves a chance. Their ideas should be nurtured and taken seriously. I've worked with girls who other adults wrote off and are now thriving young women. Computer science is a challenging subject for any new learner that demands creativity, critical thinking and problem solving – skills not exactly honed well in today's standardized-testing education environment. Let’s sit alongside students as they learn to code – believe in them, encourage them and challenge them.

Community

Anything worth doing should be done together. There's a reason I mentor teams of girls rather than just individuals, as in similar youth organizations. The girls need support from each other and not just their mentor. I've enjoyed watching them build strong friendships and collaborate on service projects. We sit around a campfire, talk or laugh — you can feel that there’s a real bond.

Relationships are critical in life. I could not have gotten this far in the organization without the people on my team who validate my ideas and build on them. There’s a mentality that we're all in this together — we build together, we learn together and we see the outcomes together. From trivia night to bowling and numerous shared meals, we also play well together!

Our team also wants to dispel the notion that coding is a loner activity done in a windowless room with zero social interaction. Rather, it's team-based and collaborative in well-lit, open environments. Coding education should reflect that. We are building a program with small teams of students and mentors who learn together and complete projects together. Experience leads me to believe that the outcomes of this model will be stronger than individual learning.

Social impact

It was never our intention to teach students to code for the sake of coding or even to feed the computer science pipeline at universities. Computer science is — and has always been — about helping people, making their lives easier and the world better for all of us. There's a great phrase by Bill Ferriter, a "radical" educator, that conveys this idea the best: Technology is a tool, not a learning outcome. For us, coding is the tool for students to build technology solutions to social issues.

I remember social impact always being a part of the idea for our program — though now it's central to our purpose. I owe a lot of that to The Grove, the West End neighborhood-based co-working space where Bold Idea was born. There, I met people like Chirag Gupta who sparked the original idea and Ben Davis and Chelsea Masters who would eventually join the founding team, plus the numerous people who have contributed advice. The Grove is unique, encouraging its members to pursue ideas that support a social mission. I think that's what drove many of us to join in the first place and connect so well together.

I am blessed that I was raised by parents who so easily help those around them. Not because we should "do our part to make the world a better place" or to feel good about ourselves — it’s just what you do. When your elderly neighbor's washing machine breaks down, you fix it. When a single mom needs a break, you step in to watch her kids. My dad serves lunches in the summer at a mobile home park in our town for kids on the school lunch program. Because of their influence, I don't have to consider how or if I serve others. It's ingrained in me. Well, obviously you help your community!

Why me?

I am not a coder by profession, though I’m learning. I've spent the past ten years of my professional life writing marketing content for software companies and technology startups. I loved working in the technology space, lending my writing talents to engineer and developer teams. These were (mostly) brilliant and kind people, who were building awesome things — whether 4D subsurface modeling using an Xbox or DAS antennas in sports stadiums so fans could share photos over a reliable network. I geeked out over what they built, and they loved including me on their teams, and explaining features and use cases to me.

From that experience, I came to understand how much we rely on technology every day without even realizing it. The world is changing rapidly, and we have a greater need for technology solutions that will propel us forward as a society — from curing disease and meeting energy demand to feeding growing populations and democratizing knowledge. And the role of builder is no longer relegated to career technologists. Professions as diverse as doctors, marketing directors, teachers and accountants must become proficient in coding. It's not a future outlook, it's happening now. And really — why prepare kids for their future when we can prepare them to be builders now?

This hasn't answered the question, "why me?" Maybe I'm bold enough to want to do something about it. Maybe the past 10+ years has just been a buildup to this point so I could gain the communication and organizing skills, plus the connections, to make this a reality. And again, I can’t do this alone. It takes a team of passionate people who work together to make this outreach possible. I love working with my passionate team members because together we create something that didn't exist before we got connected.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”

— Margaret Mead

Game of Code Week Starts Now!

By Robyn

The Bold Idea leadership team is passionate about a lot of things — improving computer science education for K-12, using technology to solve global challenges and empowering girls in their roles as builders of tech. It’s that passion that fueled our drive last year to create Bold Idea and what still keeps us motivated.

Yet in full disclosure, we’re also really, super passionate about something else. Something that we talk about ad nauseum and get super geeky over: Game of Thrones.

And so, in honor of the season 5 premiere of the epic show, we’re declaring it "Game of Code" week on the Bold Idea! blog (starting today). Several of us will share our review (and our kids’ reviews) of online games that teach coding fundamentals. Even though these were designed for younger students, we still had a blast playing them ourselves. Try them out today yourself and with your family. Let us know what you think!

To officially kick things off, here’s the ever relevant Sesame Street and its parody of Game Thrones. Enjoy!

The Game of Chairs will determine who will be king or queen of Jesteros. Four players will march around three chairs while music plays until one remains. Who will take the crown in this game of musical chairs? Robb, Cersie, Joffrey, Daeneyrus or....?