The CodeHS road trip made its way through California this March, stopping at schools across the state to meet with teachers, engage students in hands-on coding activities, and share the excitement of computer science education! Everything from introducing coding to middle schoolers, designing games with elementary students, and exploring AI tools with high schoolers, each stop brought unique conversations and inspiring moments.
Stop 1: Dorothy McElhinney Middle School (Murietta, CA)
The first stop in California was at Dorothy McElhinney Middle School, where we met teacher Shani Campbell. She wears many hats at the school, teaching robotics, video production, and computer science. We showed her how to customize the curriculum by adding and removing lessons, which she was excited to integrate into her classroom. We wrapped up the visit with a Turtle Graphics Hour of Code activity, which the students loved.
Stop 2: JSerra Catholic School (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
Next, we visited JSerra Catholic High School and met teacher Carmen Lagalante. The school had two computer science classes with students enrolled in a mix of Intro to Programming, AP Computer Science, and Cybersecurity. Since these students had chosen CS as an elective, they were eager to discuss future career paths, college courses, and AI advancements. A highlight of this visit was watching students present their weekly tech-related speeches, a unique way to keep them engaged with the ever-changing world of technology.
Stop 3: Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy (Wilmington, CA)
Harbor Teacher Prep Academy was an exciting stop, where we met teacher William Sato. His students were already big fans of CodeHS and love the Corgi course! Given the students’ enthusiasm, we ran a mini hackathon where they explored AI tools and built websites in minutes. They also discovered the codehs.me site, which was new to them. Several students volunteered to show off their creations, and we had the opportunity to interview a few about their projects.
Stop 4: Hilton Bell Intermediate School (Garden Grove, CA)
The CodeHS team visited Hilton Bell Intermediate School, where we introduced CodeHS to a class of middle schoolers. Their teacher, Kimberly Saldana, was currently focused on robotics but was excited to learn that high schools in the district were using CodeHS. We presented to about 40 students, sharing the importance of computer science and stories from the road trip.
Stop 5: Newbury Park HS (Newbury Park, CA)
Leaving Southern California, we stopped at Newbury Park High School, where teacher Leilani Alamillo had used CodeHS for web design. Students found that course to be very engaging, and many were interested in pursuing tech careers. Although the visit was short, we had great conversations about computer science pathways and the CodeHS software engineering internship. After the visit, we hit the road, heading up the Pacific Coast Highway toward Santa Cruz.
Stop 6: Kirby School (Santa Cruz, CA)
At Kirby School, we met teacher Meghan Lee. Her students were working on AP CSP in Python and robotics. The school had an impressive lab with six 3D printers, and students were using software to design robot parts. We introduced them to AI tools that could assist with modeling, and some began building portfolio websites to showcase their projects.
Stop 7: Grace M. Davis High School (Modesto, CA)
Our first stop in Modesto was at Grace Davis High School, where we visited a web design class. We had a shorter session with the students, so we had to make the most of our time. We gave a brief presentation about CodeHS and ended with a discussion.
Stop 8: James C. Enochs High School (Modesto, CA)
At Enochs High School, we spoke to a math class, which made for an exciting opportunity to introduce programming to students who hadn’t been exposed to it before. We were able to demonstrate AI tools and engage the students in interactive learning. This made for such an awesome experience!
Stop 9: Burbank Elementary School (Modesto, CA)
Our next stop in Modesto was Burbank Elementary School, where we worked with a class of enthusiastic third graders. Together, we created a chase game in Scratch. These came out amazing and added to another great elementary visit on the road trip.
Stop 10: Wilson Elementary School (Modesto, CA)
We visited Wilson Elementary, where teacher Yumi Soares welcomed us into her 5th-grade class. Since the students were experienced with Scratch, we ran two activities—creating a chase game and a pop-the-balloon game. The students had a blast customizing their characters and making the games their own.
Stop 11: Bret Harte Elementary School (Modesto, CA)
Our final stop in California was Bret Harte Elementary School, where we met Chad King, who teaches multiple grade levels. We ran a Scratch activity with his 3rd graders and a Turtle Graphics Python activity with his 6th graders. Mr. King mentioned he had never seen his 6th graders so engaged before, which was great to hear!
From middle school robotics labs to advanced high school hackathons, the CodeHS road trip was packed with excitement and engagement. It was great to see students across all grade levels exploring coding, AI, and robotics. As we leave California and continue the journey, we’re looking forward to meeting even more students and teachers, sharing the power of computer science along the way!
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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, request a visit here codehs.com/roadtrip.
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