The program offers an intensive, undergraduate-level introduction to programming through creative coding, providing personalized attention from faculty within a university setting.
The University of Chicago Summer Session: Introduction to Creative Coding is a three-week residential program designed for high school students. This introductory programming course utilizes graphic design and digital art exercises to teach fundamental computational tools. Students will learn to write code in JavaScript and related languages, working with various digital media including vector graphics, raster images, animations, and web applications. The curriculum emphasizes basic computational concepts such as variables, conditional logic, and procedural abstraction. Daily activities involve intensive coding, live coding lectures, discussions, and group exercises, often employing 'mob programming' where students collaborate on code. The course aims to foster engagement and learning through hands-on practice and regular assignments, culminating in a deeper understanding of programming through creative application.
Students attend class Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CT, with a lunch break, engaging in live coding lectures, discussions, and group exercises.
This course is ideal for high school students in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade who are at least 14 years old and have little to no prior coding experience, but an interest in computer science, data science, math, or technology.
University of Chicago
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