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I got involved with Canada Learning Code through mentoring at the youth summer camps as I wanted to inspire them to pursue higher education and careers in technology. Having been the only female at a number of technology events and workshops during my time in school, I wanted to be a part of an organization that empowers the younger generation to embrace diversity in technology and to share my personal experiences with them. Through these roles and participating in these programs, I have had the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of youth learners and develop my own skills along the way.

Michelle and Nicole first joined Canada Learning Code when they registered online for the week-long Kids Learning Code summer game-making camp; Michelle as a camper and Nicole as a volunteer mentor. Michelle learned a lot about code specifically in terms of platform and launch gaming using HTML and CSS. Through these camps she was able to grow an ongoing love for coding and make lifelong friends. Nicole gained many experiences while working with the campers and incredible staff and enhanced her (soft and hard) skills through the continuous development learning. Both girls continue to return and participate in the many programs Canada Learning Code has to offer and love every part of it.

~ Sean Kelly, Father

After attending several Teens Learning Code workshops, I developed a passion for digital literacy, so I co-founded a coding club at my own school. I heard about the Teens Learning Code program from a friend who previously attended their workshops. At first, I was hesitant about going as I never coded and thought I would fail miserably. However, the atmosphere at my first HTML and CSS workshop I went to was really encouraging. It didn’t matter that I had no experience in code as I walked away from that workshop feeling successful because I made my first fully functioning website!

When I heard about Ladies Learning Code, I thought about how amazing it would be for women to come into a workshop and learn how to code from other women.  It would be the same atmosphere that got me interested in programming, and I wanted to be a part of it. The thrill of watching someone realize that they just wrote a computer program is an experience that I get every time I mentor or lead a Canada Learning Code lesson.  The best part, though, is that I know that even if someone leaves the workshop thinking they are not a coder, it will never be because they felt unwelcome.

Andre started coding at Canada Learning Code 3 years ago, attending the Sunday workshops and summer camps.  He’s learned a lot these past years, like how to use the computer properly, make his own projects, create video games, use different computers languages and have fun while doing it. Daisy also started coding with Canada Learning Code 3 years ago with Girls Learning Code. She was afraid to use the computer before but now feels really confident every time she needs to do a project at school.  They both made a lot of friends attending the summer camps, love their mentors and how much they learn from them.

As a lady who works in digital, I’m passionate about encouraging others to explore opportunities in tech. I am particularly interested in digital literacy to help females and minorities develop personally and professionally. We need more females and minorities in this field and to achieve this, I started volunteering as a mentor with Canada Learning Code in 2013.

I’m a new front-end developer, graduate of HackerYou. I attended a few Ladies Learning Code workshops prior to the HackerYou coding bootcamp and started mentoring at Canada Learning Code in 2018. I found Canada Learning Code after moving to Toronto and searching for groups that dealt with tech education and absolutely love what Canada Learning Code does for the tech community, especially for getting people into tech. I wish I had them in my life when I was young.

I actually started out as a mentor with Canada Learning Code in high school before I started participating workshops myself. My friend had volunteered at the summer camps and told me about how amazing the environment and experience was. Mentoring was really great for me because I was able to refresh all the coding languages I had learned in school like HTML and CSS. I also love being a teen ambassador because I get to be more involved with Canada Learning Code and meet really awesome people!

As a kid, I learned how to make my own websites through online tutorials, and instantly fell in love with the endless possibilities of code. I followed this passion in high school, joining and leading my school’s robotics club. When I first mentored with Canada Learning Code in 2014, it was the perfect opportunity to combine my love of coding and volunteering. I think it’s important to give girls and kids the opportunity to explore programming and tech, and Canada Learning Code provides the perfect environment to learn. I’m currently studying Software Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and I’m looking forward to becoming a workshop instructor in the future!

“As a parent, I must say that the classes certainly increased my daughter’s confidence and she is now more comfortable with the concept of coding. The teachers were very patient and made complex things appear easy. Overall, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend it.”

– Parent