Coding in the Mountains: Highlights from on the Road

The CodeHS van has officially made its way through Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, bringing hands-on coding activities and ways to use AI in the classroom. From middle schoolers just starting Python to AP students building full websites, here are some of the standout moments from the road.

Stop 1: Valivue Middle School (Caldwell, ID)

We kicked things off in Caldwell, Idaho with a visit to teacher Wyatt Morgano at Vallivue Middle School. During our time there, we walked Wyatt through some of the Pro features available on CodeHS. His five computer science classes—four Intro to Python and one Advanced Web Design—were excited to dive in. We had a great time talking with students about the journey into computer science and wrapped up the visit by running our “Coding with Beats” activity with the afternoon classes. It was a fun and inspiring stop, helping bring more CS opportunities to the school.

Stop 2: Gearld Wright Elementary (West Valley City, UT)

Next up was Emily Allen and her 4th grade class at Gearld Wright Elementary. We ran the spring-themed Scratch lesson where students created their own cat-and-mouse chase game. The class was all-in, experimenting with loops, conditionals, and variables, and asking how to add even more features to their creations. It was a great showcase of just how creative and excited elementary students can be when given the tools to build.

Stop 3: Granger High School (West Valley City, UT)

Granger High—Utah’s largest high school with nearly 3,500 students—was an exciting stop. We visited Shawn Pike’s Exploring Computer Science classes, where students were just beginning their coding journeys. We explored the CodeHS.me site so students could start building personal homepages, and we also introduced some AI design tools. Students loved it, immediately diving into their own websites and apps. Some even published their first live sites that same day.

Stop 4: Neil Armstrong Academy (West Valley City, UT)

Our final stop in Utah included visits to three different classrooms at Neil Armstrong Academy: 3rd grade with Cindy Koheler, 4th grade with David Pendleton, and 6th grade with Cherrie Thompson. It was awesome to see CS being taught across multiple grade levels, and each class brought its own energy and creativity to the table.

Stop 5: Grand Junction High School (Grand Junction, CO)

Crossing into Colorado, we met with Suzanne Dunlap at Grand Junction High. Her students were using CodeHS across several courses—Web Design, AP CS, Cybersecurity, and Intro. We saw some impressive CodeHS.me projects already live, and students shared great feedback: they liked the pacing, videos, and ease of use! Suzanne’s classes were advanced and very engaged.

Stop 6: Legacy High School (Broomfield, CO)

In Broomfield, we met two teachers: Sharleen Piotrashcke and Jen Cooper. Jen uses CodeHS for her Web Design course’s final project (a personal portfolio via CodeHS.me), while Sharleen teaches both Intro to Python and Networking. They were both super excited about the platform.

Stop 7: Pine Creek High School (Colorado Springs, CO)

Stop number 130 of the trip! Pine Creek High is a large school known for tech, and we were able to meet with teacher Denise Gardiner. We were able to speak with 22 AP students who were curious about studying CS in college. We talked about real-world tools for project development, and they asked some thoughtful questions. It was great to see future developers in action.

Stop 8: Weld Central High School (Keenesburg, CO)

The final visit in Colorado brought us to Weld Central High, where we met teacher Zach Levine. We got to see his Python 1 and 2 classes in action using CodeHS. Zach runs a coding club and shared how his students had built their own games using a Python textbook. He was thrilled to have the flexibility to mix and match courses on the platform and valued how CodeHS allowed him to tailor learning to his students’ interests.

Each visit on this stretch of the road trip brought a new story—power outages, surprise portfolio projects, and incredible students doing meaningful work. It’s clear that no matter the size of the school or the level of experience, students are eager to code, create, and learn. Can’t wait to see where the van rolls next!

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