Maine Kids Code
Tax deductible
Maine Kids Code is a new program dedicated to expanding access to computer science in the state of Maine.
The purpose of Maine Kids Code is to provide an after-school program that is both fun and educational for middle school students interested in coding in the Greater Portland area. The program introduces youth to specific technologies and teaches problem solving alongside computer programming. The program includes real life applications for solving community problems as well as robotics, games, and other activities.
We are looking to hire staff, create marketing materials, and purchase needed supplies and technology to get this program off the ground.
STATEMENT OF NEED
Colby is ten years old. He discovered coding online and started teaching himself a couple of languages. Coding soon became his passion. He has limited access to computers and robotics at school, even though he is a part of his town’s gifted and talented program. He doesn't know many kids who share his interest in programming. His parents know very little about coding and searched for local resources to encourage his interest, but there were none.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be one million unfilled jobs for programmers in the United States by 2020. But even if students don’t grow up to be programmers, learning to code helps develop critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills. Plus, coding is fun; computer programming can be used to create playful, interactive stories and games.
In Maine, there are many families who do not have computers at home or access to up-to-date technologies. Portland has roughly 10,000 new Americans, more than any other Maine community. We will target some of our program promotion towards kids of limited means and the new American communities, to teach children a skill that can help reduce barriers when they grow up and enter the workforce.
We also intend to target some of our program promotion specifically to girls. The gender gap in computing has actually been getting worse since the 1980s. In 1984, thirty-seven percent of all computer science graduates were women. Now that number is just eighteen percent. Our aim is to give young women the tools to understand technology, build their ideas, and make coding more approachable by creating an environment that is inclusive and welcoming.
For children, making friends is a vital part of growing up and an essential part of their social and emotional development. Children often choose friends based on similar or shared hobbies. This program will help children like Colby find friends with similar interests. On their own, each of these kids has a bright future; but once we connect them, it can be even brighter. Innovation is often inspired by collaboration.
S.T.E.M.
The acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is typically used when addressing education policy and curriculum choices in schools to improve competitiveness in science and technology development. Raising children who are knowledgeable in the STEM fields is a key portion of the public education agenda of the United States.
Unfortunately, most Maine schools and teachers are tasked with so much that they aren’t able to make this an ongoing priority. For example, even the schools in the highest-ranked districts are only able to teach coding once a year as part of a program from Code.org, Hour of Code.
While this is a great introduction that exposes as many Maine youth to the idea of coding as possible, Maine Kids Code hopes to fill the void of resources for Greater Portland students who already know the basics and want to learn more.
This program has a lot of room for expansion in the future. Many students in our state’s gifted and talented programs would love to have access to the kind of space we are looking to create, but it would be cost prohibitive to have one at each school. It is possible that once the program is up and running, the space and facilities that we develop at MCMA for the after-school program could be made available to other groups. We also hope this program will serve as an example, and that the curriculum and documentation we create will help organizations in other parts of the state to create their own programming classes for youth.
The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association
Maine Kids Code will be housed in Mechanics’ Hall the home of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, which has pledged to donate the use of their classroom space once a week.
The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association was founded in 1815 as a craftsman’s guild to teach and promote excellence among Portland’s various trades ranging from carpenters and sailmakers to shipbuilders and brick masons, watchmakers, furniture makers, and cobblers.
The mission of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association is to inspire and enrich the community by promoting ingenuity, creativity, innovation, and the diffusion of useful knowledge. The modern makers movement is the 21st century iteration of the 19th century mechanics and computer programming is a vital part of the maker ecosystem. MCMA has always supported the creation of new devices, giving prizes in the 19th century for innovation and the development of new and better tools. MCMA is excited to offer space for Maine Kids Code in its historic classroom in Mechanics Hall.
The program will also have access to the on-site library, as well as the ballroom – a large open space perfect for test-driving technologies like robots and drones.
PARTNERSHIPS
Maine Kids Code is currently in discussion with multiple area organizations on ways to effectively partner together. We have spoken with Maine College of Art and Design (MECA) about marketing and administrative support, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science about programming and equipment, and King Middle School about our plans to recruit participants.
FUNDING WILL GO TO:
Running MKC for one year, September 2017 - June 2018
Project Leader/Teacher
Equiment and Software
15 Laptops
Inkjet Printers
3D Printer
Maker Supplies e.g. Raspberry Pi's, Lego Mindstorms
Software: e.g. Photoshop, Unity
Light Board
Marketing Material
Classroom Supplies
ORGANIZERS INFORMATION
Sam Mateosian, Truestee of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association. Sam is Co-founder and Cheif Innovation Officer for Big Room Studios, a creative technology company user experience design, lean startup consulting, and agile application development services.
Pam Plumb, President and Chair of the Programming Committee for the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association. Pam is a former City Councilor and Mayor of Portland. She is the founder of Pamela Plumb & Associates which serves a wide range of non-profit organizations, businesses, and government organizations with process design, facilitation, training, and organizational development. She is widely known for her process work and training in municipal governance.
Nick Kauffman is involved with Code for Maine, a local part of Code for America. Code for America enlists the talent of the web industry into public service to use their skills to solve core problems facing our communities. They help passionate technologists leverage the power of the internet to make governments more open and efficient, and become civic leaders able to realize transformational change with technology.
Karla Wheaton has experience as a staff member at many local nonprofits such as the Maine Alzheimer’s Association, Community Counseling Center, and the Northern New England chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Karla is Colby’s mother. She was motivated to join this project by the lack of opportunities for him to advance his coding and programming skills in Maine.
The Maine Kids Code committee also includes: Chris Bond (software engineer), Ryan Murphy (programmer), Sharoan Cohen (educator), and Emily Felger (graphic designer and website designer).
PROGRAM OUTLINE
We will launch our program with a two-hour after-school class that meets once a week. The class will feature a series of group and individual projects, but will also provide time and space for more advanced students to work independently with optional assistance from a skilled instructor. This initial class will help us to determine the specific interests of our students, and as the program grows, we can offer more targeted classes in subjects like: the fundamentals of computer science, responsive web design, Photoshop, JavaScript, and Ruby, as well as game design and robotics.
It is important to us to make sure that all necessary materials are available for students on-site.
Having all students work on laptops provided by the program eliminates the potential for discrepancies between students who are able to bring their own new laptops from home and those who have to borrow one from the program. We will also provide all software, as well as the tools and physical components necessary to build each class project.
PROJECT TIMELINE
We plan to develop the programming during the winter of 2017, run some test classes in the late spring or early summer, and launch at the beginning of the school year in the fall of 2017.
We estimate it will take two months to purchase the equipment and prepare the space. At the same time we will be developing the program logo, written materials, and website. We will begin promoting the program to the members of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association through its newsletter and website, and ask them to reach out to interested parties. We will also personally contact local schools and groups to let them know our plans for the program.
The purpose of Maine Kids Code is to provide an after-school program that is both fun and educational for middle school students interested in coding in the Greater Portland area. The program introduces youth to specific technologies and teaches problem solving alongside computer programming. The program includes real life applications for solving community problems as well as robotics, games, and other activities.
We are looking to hire staff, create marketing materials, and purchase needed supplies and technology to get this program off the ground.
STATEMENT OF NEED
Colby is ten years old. He discovered coding online and started teaching himself a couple of languages. Coding soon became his passion. He has limited access to computers and robotics at school, even though he is a part of his town’s gifted and talented program. He doesn't know many kids who share his interest in programming. His parents know very little about coding and searched for local resources to encourage his interest, but there were none.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be one million unfilled jobs for programmers in the United States by 2020. But even if students don’t grow up to be programmers, learning to code helps develop critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills. Plus, coding is fun; computer programming can be used to create playful, interactive stories and games.
In Maine, there are many families who do not have computers at home or access to up-to-date technologies. Portland has roughly 10,000 new Americans, more than any other Maine community. We will target some of our program promotion towards kids of limited means and the new American communities, to teach children a skill that can help reduce barriers when they grow up and enter the workforce.
We also intend to target some of our program promotion specifically to girls. The gender gap in computing has actually been getting worse since the 1980s. In 1984, thirty-seven percent of all computer science graduates were women. Now that number is just eighteen percent. Our aim is to give young women the tools to understand technology, build their ideas, and make coding more approachable by creating an environment that is inclusive and welcoming.
For children, making friends is a vital part of growing up and an essential part of their social and emotional development. Children often choose friends based on similar or shared hobbies. This program will help children like Colby find friends with similar interests. On their own, each of these kids has a bright future; but once we connect them, it can be even brighter. Innovation is often inspired by collaboration.
S.T.E.M.
The acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is typically used when addressing education policy and curriculum choices in schools to improve competitiveness in science and technology development. Raising children who are knowledgeable in the STEM fields is a key portion of the public education agenda of the United States.
Unfortunately, most Maine schools and teachers are tasked with so much that they aren’t able to make this an ongoing priority. For example, even the schools in the highest-ranked districts are only able to teach coding once a year as part of a program from Code.org, Hour of Code.
While this is a great introduction that exposes as many Maine youth to the idea of coding as possible, Maine Kids Code hopes to fill the void of resources for Greater Portland students who already know the basics and want to learn more.
This program has a lot of room for expansion in the future. Many students in our state’s gifted and talented programs would love to have access to the kind of space we are looking to create, but it would be cost prohibitive to have one at each school. It is possible that once the program is up and running, the space and facilities that we develop at MCMA for the after-school program could be made available to other groups. We also hope this program will serve as an example, and that the curriculum and documentation we create will help organizations in other parts of the state to create their own programming classes for youth.
The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association
Maine Kids Code will be housed in Mechanics’ Hall the home of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, which has pledged to donate the use of their classroom space once a week.
The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association was founded in 1815 as a craftsman’s guild to teach and promote excellence among Portland’s various trades ranging from carpenters and sailmakers to shipbuilders and brick masons, watchmakers, furniture makers, and cobblers.
The mission of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association is to inspire and enrich the community by promoting ingenuity, creativity, innovation, and the diffusion of useful knowledge. The modern makers movement is the 21st century iteration of the 19th century mechanics and computer programming is a vital part of the maker ecosystem. MCMA has always supported the creation of new devices, giving prizes in the 19th century for innovation and the development of new and better tools. MCMA is excited to offer space for Maine Kids Code in its historic classroom in Mechanics Hall.
The program will also have access to the on-site library, as well as the ballroom – a large open space perfect for test-driving technologies like robots and drones.
PARTNERSHIPS
Maine Kids Code is currently in discussion with multiple area organizations on ways to effectively partner together. We have spoken with Maine College of Art and Design (MECA) about marketing and administrative support, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science about programming and equipment, and King Middle School about our plans to recruit participants.
FUNDING WILL GO TO:
Running MKC for one year, September 2017 - June 2018
Project Leader/Teacher
Equiment and Software
15 Laptops
Inkjet Printers
3D Printer
Maker Supplies e.g. Raspberry Pi's, Lego Mindstorms
Software: e.g. Photoshop, Unity
Light Board
Marketing Material
Classroom Supplies
ORGANIZERS INFORMATION
Sam Mateosian, Truestee of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association. Sam is Co-founder and Cheif Innovation Officer for Big Room Studios, a creative technology company user experience design, lean startup consulting, and agile application development services.
Pam Plumb, President and Chair of the Programming Committee for the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association. Pam is a former City Councilor and Mayor of Portland. She is the founder of Pamela Plumb & Associates which serves a wide range of non-profit organizations, businesses, and government organizations with process design, facilitation, training, and organizational development. She is widely known for her process work and training in municipal governance.
Nick Kauffman is involved with Code for Maine, a local part of Code for America. Code for America enlists the talent of the web industry into public service to use their skills to solve core problems facing our communities. They help passionate technologists leverage the power of the internet to make governments more open and efficient, and become civic leaders able to realize transformational change with technology.
Karla Wheaton has experience as a staff member at many local nonprofits such as the Maine Alzheimer’s Association, Community Counseling Center, and the Northern New England chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Karla is Colby’s mother. She was motivated to join this project by the lack of opportunities for him to advance his coding and programming skills in Maine.
The Maine Kids Code committee also includes: Chris Bond (software engineer), Ryan Murphy (programmer), Sharoan Cohen (educator), and Emily Felger (graphic designer and website designer).
PROGRAM OUTLINE
We will launch our program with a two-hour after-school class that meets once a week. The class will feature a series of group and individual projects, but will also provide time and space for more advanced students to work independently with optional assistance from a skilled instructor. This initial class will help us to determine the specific interests of our students, and as the program grows, we can offer more targeted classes in subjects like: the fundamentals of computer science, responsive web design, Photoshop, JavaScript, and Ruby, as well as game design and robotics.
It is important to us to make sure that all necessary materials are available for students on-site.
Having all students work on laptops provided by the program eliminates the potential for discrepancies between students who are able to bring their own new laptops from home and those who have to borrow one from the program. We will also provide all software, as well as the tools and physical components necessary to build each class project.
PROJECT TIMELINE
We plan to develop the programming during the winter of 2017, run some test classes in the late spring or early summer, and launch at the beginning of the school year in the fall of 2017.
We estimate it will take two months to purchase the equipment and prepare the space. At the same time we will be developing the program logo, written materials, and website. We will begin promoting the program to the members of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association through its newsletter and website, and ask them to reach out to interested parties. We will also personally contact local schools and groups to let them know our plans for the program.
Organizer
Maine Charitable Mechanics Association
Organizer
Portland, ME
Maine Charitable Mechanics Association
Beneficiary