CodeHS continued its road trip through Michigan, visiting schools, meeting passionate educators, and engaging students in hands-on coding challenges. From getting teachers comfortable with the CodeHS platform to working with students using Python, here’s a look back at the Michigan stops filled with exciting moments and learning.
Stop 1: Oscar A. Carlson High School (Gibraltar, MI)
The first stop on the Michigan route was Oscar A. Carlson High School, just south of Detroit. In a class of 14 students, the day was split between presentations about getting into computer science and a hands-on Python lesson. We also worked closely with two teachers who were new to coding, stepping in for the regular computer science teacher on maternity leave.
One of the teachers, Pat Morrow, also ran the school’s film production program and proudly showed off their high school news broadcasting studio. Initially worried about teaching computer science without prior experience, Pat expressed relief after learning how to set up classes and use CodeHS’s pro tools. He said that he
"felt relieved and a lot more confident about teaching computer science"
after the session. It was a successful start to the Michigan tour, with both teachers excited to continue using CodeHS in their classrooms.
Stop 2: Genesee Career Institute (Flint, MI)
The next stop took CodeHS to Genesee Career Institute in Flint, where they met Andrew Spiece, a major figure in Michigan’s CTE (Career and Technical Education) space. Andrew, who has deep connections in EdTech, provide valuable feedback and shared ideas for the platform. He was really impressed with the AI feedback feature, which makes it easier to help students, and expressed excitement about future AI-driven tools from CodeHS.
Stop 3: Grand Blanc High School (Grand Blanc, MI)
The road trip continued with Grand Blanc High School, where CodeHS met teacher Todd Beard. Todd told us how he traveled the world teaching computer science through Microsoft, and even won a hackathon for his work integrating Arduinos into Microsoft Excel. Now back at his old high school, Todd’s experiences provided plenty of inspiration for his students. The students were new to CodeHS and enjoyed learning Python and coding with the platform. They were excited to see the CodeHS van and many took photos with it.
Stop 4: Richmond Community High School (Richmond, MI)
The final stop in Michigan was Richmond Community High School. Over the course of the day, the team met with six different computer science classes, five of which were already working on Python Turtle Graphics projects. The students created creative Karel art, diving deeper into their coding skills.
Their teacher, Kathy Campau, was enthusiastic about the visit. She praised CodeHS for making computer science easy to teach, especially for teachers who may initially feel intimidated by the subject. In addition to running the computer science program, Kathy also coaches an esports team at the high school, where students compete in eight different games. The classroom was fully equipped with new desktop computers, gaming equipment, and even Nintendo Switches for the esports team. The students were engaged, respectful, and thrilled to show off their work, making this a great end to the Michigan tour.
After completing our Michigan stops, we are now on the way to the East Coast, with a stop at Niagara Falls along the way. As we continue our journey, we’re continuing to bring the excitement of coding and computer science education to classrooms across the country!
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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. In addition, members of the CodeHS team will be visiting schools during Computer Science Education Week from December 2-15th. If you’re interested, request a visit here codehs.com/roadtrip.
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