Coding Camp began on Monday and is being taught for three days through Wednesday at the Porterville Unified School District Future Ready Lab at the former Citrus South Tule School in Success Valley.
Fifteen students ages 8-10 from various schools at the lab were learning how to create code and use it to build a video game with the help of instructor Travis Scott and co-instructor Cody Diliberto as well as Harmony Magnet Academy high school interns Miguel Prado and Jesus Valdez from Harmony's Academy of Engineering, with two other interns Rodolfo Ojeda and Marisol Zamarripa from the Granite Hills High School CODE Pathway helping in the classroom.
Erik Santos, PUSD Pathways Learning Director said even at a young age, students can learn code and explore computer programming using the CODE.org platform, and the camp is an engaging summer camp, and in the end, students can play each other's games they created.
Zamarripa said that she was enjoying the class, and it was a good experience.
Diliberto explained the coding platform was a jumping game to make the characters jump on the platform. The students were having to learn the various reasoning concepts like algebra, geometry, and variables to make the codes and create the games.
"This is really fun and interesting," said Valdez, "and it can open up opportunities for these kids, and help the world advance technologically."
"I think this is a really great way to get kids interested in coding," added Prado.