Bringing Computer Science to Life on the West Coast with CodeHS Beats

CodeHS had the opportunity to visit several schools across Oregon and Washington, connecting with students, teachers, and administrators to bring hands-on coding experiences to the classroom. From talking to students that were well on their way with coding to introducing students to their first coding lesson, each stop brought unique and meaningful moments.

Stop 1: Siuslaw High School (Floreance, OR)

Our first Oregon school visit brought us to the coastal town of Florence, where we met Patrick Looney and his classes. He has built a versatile program, covering everything from robotics and 3D printing to esports and game jams. Patrick has been using CodeHS for Python and Web Design, and was shown how CodeHS Pro could take his class to the next level. It was great to see how coding is integrated into so many different disciplines at Siuslaw!

Stop 2: Memorial Middle School (Albany, OR)

We made our way over to Memorial High School where we were able to meet with an English teacher about integrating coding to her class. This made for a unique visit because we don’t get the chance to stop in many GenEd classes.

Stop 3: International School of Beaverton (Beaverton, OR)

At International School of Beaverton, we were welcomed by English and History teacher, Alysoun Lowe. We led a coding activity with a class of sophomores, bringing some hands-on experience to students who were excited to dive into programming. This was a fantastic opportunity to introduce computer science to this school and engage students with the subject.

Stop 4: Mountain View Middle School (Aloha, OR)

At Mountain View Middle school, we were able to meet multiple teachers and lead four sessions in the library, reaching nearly 400 students! Most of them had never coded before, so we set them up with CodeHS and explored Turtle Graphics in Python. Seeing their enthusiasm and creativity was incredible.

Stop 5: Sherwood High School (Sherwood, OR)

Walking through the doors of Sherwood High School, we were greeted by the principal. We spoke with students in a mixed-level computer science class, where some were learning web design, others game development, and some preparing for AP courses. After our presentation, we talked with teachers at the school and shared what the journey has been like on the road.

Stop 6: Skyview High School (Salmon Creek, WA)

Crossing into Washington, we visited Skyview High School in Vancouver, where we met teacher trainer Kim Hansen. Kim shared how she’s been using AI to improve her feedback and grading flows on CodeHS. We ran a CodeHS gamified quiz with her five coding classes which students really enjoyed. Mrs. Hansen teaches Intro to Python, AP CSA, AP CSP, and Game Design—all using CodeHS!

Stop 7: River Ridge High School (Lacey, WA)

Our first visit in the Seattle area took us to River Ridge High School in Lacey, where we met AP CSP teacher Jacob Rinbar. His students were very engaged and curious about the CodeHS road trip leading to awesome conversation. The school is undergoing renovations, so all classes were held in portables, adding a unique aspect to the visit. Although our visit was short, the students enjoyed hearing about the trip and taking photos with the pink CodeHS van.

Stop 8: Kentwood High School (Covington, WA)

At Kentwood High, the CodeHS team visited teacher Anthony Hoegl. He was eager for us to run the Coding Beats activity, which turned out to be a big hit. We were able to talk to two of his classes which lead to engaging conversation about computer science and the road trip.

Stop 9: Columbia Jr. High School (Fife, WA)

Our final stop in Washington was Columbia Jr. High in Fife, where the CodeHS team has visited previously for CSEdWeek. This semester brought a new group of students, so we ran the CodeHS Coding Beats Hour of Code activity – students had a blast creating and sharing their own musical beats.

The CodeHS Road Trip was packed with exciting school visits, meaningful connections, and new ideas. From working with AP students to introducing students to their first coding experience, it was a journey filled with inspiration and opportunities to expand computer science education.

___