From Southern Illinois to the Wisconsin Dells—Closing Out 150+ Road Trip School Visits

The CodeHS van finished up its journey through the Midwest—crossing from the cornfields of southern Illinois to the Twin Cities in Minnesota and wrapping up with a milestone visit in Wisconsin. These final stops marked the end of an eight-month journey to 151 schools, filled with eager students, inspiring teachers, and energizing conversations about computer science.

Stop 1: South Fork Jr Sr High School (Kincaid, IL)

We kicked things off in the small town of Kincaid, Illinois—home to just 1,200 people. Jamie Cearlock welcomed us into her Digital Design and Python classes. She brought all her students together for the presentation, and they were amazed to hear how far the van had traveled. This was a great visit to kick off the last leg of the road trip!

Stop 2: Shelbyville High School (Shelbyville, IL)

Our next visit brought us to Shelbyville High, where we met Amy Skinner and introduced her classes to Bool.com. Students jumped right in, creating games like Brick Breaker, Minesweeper, and Sonic remakes. It was a lively, creative session full of discovery. Many students had never used AI tools before, and it left the classroom buzzing with ideas.

Stop 3: Stewardson-Strasburg High School (Strasburg, IL)

We made our way over to Stewardson-Strasburg High where we were able to meet new teacher Theresa Probst. Her class of 10 Python students had great questions (including the classic: “Why can’t Karel turn right?”), and we talked about Python resources and opportunities in tech.

Stop 4: PACT Charter School (Ramsey, MN)

Crossing into Minnesota, our first stop was at PACT Charter School with tech teacher Amanda Marakeith. Amanda, a long-time CodeHS user, was excited about the new AI creator tools and helped us run a hybrid session across her middle and high school classes. Students explored Python Turtle Graphics, web design, and cybersecurity. This was such a high-energy, high-impact stop.

Stop 5: Minnetonka Middle School West (Excelsior, MN)

We spent a full day at Minnetonka Middle School West with Lisa Reed and her 6th–8th graders. These students were new to Python but quickly picked up turtle graphics to create art, shapes, and name designs. They took turns posing with the pink van, and we even got a crowd cheer as we pulled away making this a fun and creative stop with lots of excitement around CS.

Stop 6: Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Middle School (Howard Lake, MN)

At our last Minnesota stop, we visited Melissa Hendrickson’s middle school CS classes. Melissa has used CodeHS for three years and showed a ton of excitement about her Pro tools. Her classes explored the new AI features, and we talked about ways to bring more students into CS electives.

Stop 7: Reedsburg Area High School (Reedsburg, WI)

We crossed into Wisconsin for a visit at Reedsburg Area High School. Jennifer Gibbons—a business and CS teacher—hosted us for a Python lesson and a round of Kahoot. The students had great questions about vanlife, and we talked about Python’s role in building AI tools like Langchain. We wrapped up with a photo shoot by the pink CodeHS van.

Stop 8: Wisconsin Dells High School (Wisconsin Dells, WI)

Visit #150 marked a major milestone. At Wisconsin Dells High, we met with Michael Parham’s AP and Intro CS classes. We covered AI coding tools like Lovable, Bool.com, and Cursor, and discussed careers in CS, using APIs, and how to build full-stack apps. Students were engaged and full of ideas—it was the perfect way to celebrate 150 school visits.

Stop 9: Bayside Middle School (Bayside, WI)

The final visit of the road trip took us to Bayside Middle School with Teresa Cypert and her 5th and 6th graders. Students voted via Kahoot on what they wanted to learn—AI tools, block coding, Scratch, and more. One student even built a historical text-based adventure game that a teacher plans to use in class. We wrapped up by testing the road trip explorer game and celebrating how far the van had come.

From all different sized communities, this road trip has been a powerful reminder of how computer science is growing across all types of schools. The energy, curiosity, and potential at each stop has been inspiring.The CodeHS van may be parking for a bit—but the momentum around CS education keeps growing.

Thanks to every educator, student, and school who made this journey unforgettable.

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