We empower all students to create their bold ideas through collaborative coding sessions.
Bold Idea's computer science programs provide education in coding concepts and computational thinking in a mentoring and team-based learning environment for diverse student populations in Dallas and Collin Counties. They empower students to create their bold ideas through collaborative coding sessions.
Multi-Week Computer Science Courses
Students in 5th – 12th grades meet with their team and mentors weekly at locations across Dallas and Collin Counties. We focus on computer science learning through hands-on projects and mentoring.
Our Goal
Bold Idea's programs seek to develop computer science and 21st century skills in students, while tracking growth over time.
Computer science is the art of blending human ideas and digital tools to increase problem-solving power. It is much more than just coding. This foundational 21st century subject includes algorithms, abstraction, data, the Internet, global impact and creativity.
21st century skills are abilities, habits and mindsets that students need to develop in order to succeed in the information age. Students need to think deeply about issues, solve problems creatively, work in teams, understand and present messages effectively, and deal with a flood of information. Often labeled the 4 Cs, the 21st century skills that Bold Idea programs support are Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication.
What Makes Bold Idea Programs Unique
Mentoring
Students are supported by trained, high-quality mentors who are devoted to their growth as young coders. Many come from programming and technical backgrounds, while all have a passion for student innovation. We aim to match every two students with a mentor.
Teams
Students benefit from experience learning to code and creating technology in small teams of their peers. As a result, they improve skills in collaboration, teamwork and problem solving with others. Pair programming is one way we do this.
Diversity
Our students reflect the type of teams that we want to see more of in the world - diverse ones. We create student teams with a mix of ages, genders, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and skill levels to give students experience working with many kinds of people from an early age.
Projects
From day one, students learn to develop their computer science and 21st century skills through hands-on projects with their team. They develop their ideas into meaningful technologies using a process that includes discovery, ideation, prototyping, testing and sharing.