In this 2-credit community based learning course you’ll work with a team of UW students to facilitate a weekly Scratch Club at a local school or organization. You’ll be a mentor to the next generation of scientists, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and artists to innovate using computation.
In weekly lecture sessions you will learn and practice the facilitation, communication, and learning design skills needed to run the weekly coding clubs. These skills will also help you be a more agile and effective member of teams in other courses or your future career.
The course is open to graduate or undergraduate students of all majors. If you have questions about the course or pre-requisite experience, reach out to course instructor Peter Kirschmann at kirschmann@wisc.edu.
Quotes from past UW-Madison students:
“I have thought to myself so many times that I wish I would’ve started learning about coding and computer science way sooner than my freshman year of college. CS402 is an amazing course that brings computer science to so many young kids and I know it is reaching kids just like me that could have a future in computer science, but they get to discover that and grow their knowledge of computer science much earlier which is truly amazing.”
“I didn’t think I liked children! But leading a Scratch club has been a highlight of my time as a graduate student. CS 402 created an opportunity for me to grow as a leader and offered a glimmer of positivity in a difficult year. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and have resolved to seek out similar opportunities beyond my academic career.”
“The fact that I am able to take a course that allows me to share my passion for computer science with kids 4th-5th grade and introduce them at that age to the field is an experience unlike any other. It’s a very unique class that all my friends in other majors wish they had for their major.”