Empowering Texas students with hands-on coding experiences—one stop at a time.
The CodeHS road trip traveled across Texas to meet with 11 passionate computer science teachers and around 500 students using CodeHS. From San Antonio to Houston to Dallas, we visited a wide range of schools, each with unique programs and enthusiastic learners. Here’s a recap of our journey!
Stop 1: South San Antonio High School (San Antonio, TX)
Our first stop in Texas took us to South San Antonio High School, where we met the longtime CodeHS teacher, Domingo Ruiz. He praised how easy it is to navigate and keep students engaged. The district already has CodeHS implemented in some feeder middle schools, and Domingo hopes to expand it into elementary schools to create a seamless learning experience. Domingo also shared the incredible story of how his students transformed a basic computer class into a thriving tech hub. Over the past six years, they’ve built over 40 gaming computers, launched esports, cybersecurity, and robotics teams, created a podcast room, and even constructed a drone soccer stadium! The hands-on approach and student-driven innovation made this one of the most impressive setups we’ve ever seen.
Stop 2: KIPP Somos Collegiate (San Antonio, TX)
We then visited Javier Guerra at KIPP Somos Collegiate. His classes included AP CSA and Introduction to Python. We had the opportunity to introduce students to the turtle library, and they enjoyed the challenge of coding with it. Javier plans to incorporate more turtle-based activities into his lessons, and the students were excited to take on the new coding challenges. We wrapped up the visit with a group photo in front of the CodeHS van.
Stop 3: Dwight Middle School (San Antonio, TX)
At Dwight Middle School, the CodeHS team met with CS teacher, David Padilla. We had the opportunity to speak with three different groups of students, including sixth and eighth graders, who built their first programs on CodeHS! The students enjoyed working on the platform and made for another great stop on the road trip.
Stop 4: John Marshall High School (San Antonio, TX)
The team headed to John Marshall High School and met Andrew Lychy, a first-year teacher from Toronto who is using CodeHS for all six of his courses. In his classes, we met with some of his students who were preparing for the upcoming AP Computer Science exam. Students were excited to share their recent projects, including holiday-themed coding creations.
We arrived in Houston and visited Ashlee Houston’s classroom at YES Prep Northline Secondary. There was great discussion with students about college and career paths. Ashlee was intrigued by the road trip, and students were shocked to learn our team member was driving the CodeHS van across the country.
Stop 6: Westside High School (Houston, TX)
At Westside High School, we visited Meg Willet, a dedicated CodeHS Pro teacher. We spoke with four different classes—Python and Web Design. Students shared their appreciation for how user-friendly the CodeHS platform is, highlighting features like autograders and helpful hints. We also met a Microsoft TEALS industry mentor who praised the platform and suggested adding a step debugger to enhance the IDE. Overall, it was a fantastic visit!
Stop 7: Morton Ranch High School (Katy, TX)
We headed over to Morton Ranch High School, where we met Jerome Cordova and his Java students. They were particularly excited about the cross-country road trip journey, especially after seeing the interactive map of our travels. The visit wrapped up with a fun Q&A session, and getting some CodeHS swag!
Stop 8: Career Institute North (Dallas, TX)
In Dallas, we had a productive meeting with four computer science teachers at Career Institute North. They teach courses in web/app design, game design, cybersecurity, and object-oriented programming. It was great meeting with them, receiving valuable feedback, and offering support for their classes!
Stop 9: TECC West (Lewisville, TX)
The Technology Exploration Career Center West campus was one of the most impressive schools we’ve visited. The state-of-the-art facility offers specialized programs in fields like woodworking, HVAC, cosmetology, health science, law enforcement, and more. We spoke with Wendy Miller’s cybersecurity and IT students, who shared that they prefer CodeHS over other platforms due to its interactive lessons. This was great to hear, as it helps us understand what students enjoy and what to continue focusing on!
Stop 10: Hudson Middle School (Sachse, TX)
On Valentine’s Day, we visited Hudson Middle School and met Christina Sweek’s eighth-grade JavaScript students. The energy was high, and students were excited to receive Karel swag. They also had fun brainstorming ways to customize Karel, such as adding outfits and new objects to pick up—something that aligns well with an ongoing CodeHS hackathon project!
Stop 11: Trinity High School (Euless, TX)
The final stop in Texas was Trinity High School, where we met with Mari Goldstein’s AP CSP students. It was the first day of their new trimester, so we introduced them to CodeHS and what they’ll be learning throughout the year. The visit ended with a lively Q&A session, with each student asking two questions, making for an engaging discussion about coding, careers, and our journey.
This Texas tour was an incredible experience! We met so many dedicated teachers and students, each contributing to the growth of computer science education in unique ways. Whether it was seeing a student-built drone soccer stadium, gathering insightful platform feedback, or impactful Q&A sessions, every visit was valuable. We’re excited to continue the journey and see where the road takes us next!
___
Want CodeHS to visit your school?
We're well into the road trip and excited to visit even more schools along the way! You can still request a visit for the CodeHS team to make a stop at your school on the road trip. If you’re interested, you can request a visit at codehs.com/roadtrip.
Follow us on TikTok and Instagram to follow along on this cross-country adventure throughout the school year!
