Youth Coding League
Building confidence and competence in all students
The Youth Coding League is an innovative and comprehensive learning program rooted in communities and schools that provides access to computer science for all 5th-8th graders.
The YCL Story
Launched in 2018, the Youth Coding League champions access to cutting-edge tech education for all 5th-8th graders, informed by the modern workplace, while introducing coding in a team sport environment. Picture young coders at rural schools that do not have the resources to implement computer science programs, proudly walking down the hallways outfitted in YCL gear and prizes they won from the code they learned and built, cheered on by their community.
As STEM dominates the highest-paid careers in the fastest-growing industries, equipping students for this new frontier is a tall ask for schools that are already asked to do so much. These students can't afford to wait while the traditional curriculum catches up - so the Youth Coding League partners with schools and community organizations to equip coders with essential tech skills now.
The Youth Coding League is an innovative, comprehensive learning program that runs every Fall and Spring in community organizations and schools, led by a local coach (no CS experience or know-how required). The structured regular season introduces coding concepts in a project-based learning environment and uses a curriculum designed by a rural high school coding educator in alignment with state standards with real-world skills emphasized through collaborations with startups. Each week, coders apply new coding concepts to a project they are scored on, competing against themselves and the other coders and teams across the league on the leaderboards at YouthCodingLeague.com. In the competitive postseason series, students build group projects that enter rounds of virtual competition with big prizes on the line.
Bring YCL to your community or school! Connect via email with director Stacy Lane, or book a meeting to talk it through.
Why
YCL?
The Youth Coding League empowers young people and their communities by addressing the critical need for computer science education in an easy-to-deliver format.
For Young People
- YCL coders develop essential problem-solving and logical thinking skills, preparing them to thrive now and in the future.
- Coding enhances overall academic performance by fostering resilience, persistence, and computational thinking. These 21st-century skills create well-rounded individuals equipped for success.
- YCL coders learn to work collaboratively and build relationships with like-minded peers.
For Communities
- The YCL provides a turnkey solution to the challenge of providing high-quality computer science programming in rural areas without technical communities.
- This comprehensive solution enables communities to focus on the success of their young people without having to worry about curriculum development and industry expertise.
- The YCL fosters collaboration between schools and communities, creating a supportive environment for young coders to learn and grow.
What Others Have to Say....
“I am amazingly proud of the Conduit Coders. Within less than a year, these talented young fifth and sixth graders have helped build a program that has demonstrated tremendous success. They have risen to the challenge of coding with creativity, learning new skills while also stretching the bounds of what they thought was possible. After the success of our first season, I can’t wait to see what comes next, both for this program and also for the futures of these talented young coders!”
- Sunnie Dawn Baker,
YCL Coach in Ada, Oklahoma
Coder Feedback
"I learned that I can do hard things."
"I learned that sometimes computer science can help people with problem-solving in school. I learned that I am smarter than I thought I was during YCL."
"I learned that computer science doesn't have to be hard or complicated if you take it in small steps."
"Some things I learned about myself, by coding, was that I am really smart and can do things I thought I would never do."
"The most important thing I learned was to not give up."
Demographics
50%
While only 18 percent of computer science majors are women and 25 percent of IT jobs are held by women, about 50% of Youth Coding League coders are female.
25%
25% of Youth Coding League coders are non-white/minorities. We’re committed to making sure that Youth Coding League teams look like the schools they’re in, and determined to make sure that minorities are equally represented in one of the fastest growing, highest paying industries.
75%
70% of our Youth Coding League teams are located in rural communities with no other access to computer science than our program.
2/3s
2/3s of the students on Youth Coding League teams are on free and reduced lunch programs. We are driven to serve students who need this opportunity the most.
YCL's Reach
Youth Coding League participants can currently be found in 14 states across the country.
Bring the Youth Coding League to Your Community!
Unlock your young peoples' full potential with a clear path to success in the Youth Coding League. Let's partner to transform your community.
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