Launch House is a free and open-enrollment after-school club for children who want to learn how to code and make websites. The class topics, which change monthly, typically focus on one of three areas:
- Programming languages like Java, JavaScript, and Python
- Front-end languages like CSS and HTML
- Design subjects like typography, color theory, and responsive design
In addition to being both fun and educational for rising learners ages 8+ who have no experience with coding or designing websites, the club can also give back by providing service-learning opportunities for kids in underprivileged communities who need computer skills but can’t afford them.
Launch House program is the first technology club in the United States to be created and run by a community of volunteers without any outside funding from companies or organizations. About 150 people teach Launch House each semester after school, with about 50 of them being newly trained for every session. The curriculum for the club is developed collaboratively using Google Drive, and learners are encouraged to code outside of class as much as possible. Each class has been taught by at least one volunteer since its creation in 2009, along with a Lead Teacher who coordinates the curriculum development and teaching.
Launch House is run out of Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) Patterson High School in East Baltimore, Maryland. Launched in 2009, it is sponsored by the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) and led by Jay Goldsmith. Established in 2011, Black Girls Code is a non-profit organization that provides computer science, engineering, and technology education to girls of all races.
The club was founded in the fall of 2009 by Dave Driscoll, a computational architect and founder of LaunchPad Labs. He participated in a yearlong internship through an NSF grant from the U.S. Army to teach programming at Little Einsteins Academy for Gifted Children in Washington, D.C.’s Howard County Public School system.
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