Code the Dream offers free training in software development and a paid internship program to people from immigrant and low-income backgrounds. Jobs in software development have never been more in-demand, especially in the Research Triangle, but the cost of a college degree in computer science or a full-time coding bootcamp has created a huge barrier to getting into the tech field and has resulted in a tech workforce that does not look like America. Code the Dream’s mission is to create a more diverse tech workforce and build technology that helps work towards justice and equity in our communities.
Students start by taking Code the Dream’s free, six-month Web Development course, which covers the basics of software development and teaches students how to build their own web apps. Students specialize in Ruby on Rails or the React framework for JavaScript.
Once they have completed the class, students can join CTD Labs, where they build apps and other technology for nonprofits, local government, and minority-owned startups. Interns then use this experience to get jobs as software developers. Ultimately, Code the Dream offers a win-win model: people interested in careers in tech get training and experience, and the tech they build helps make our communities better.
Some recent examples of technology that Code the Dream has built include:
- Upstate, a web app that tracks legislation in the North Carolina legislature. Users can follow specific bills or issues, and use the app to find and contact officials who are working on specific legislation.
- Vamos, an app for the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry that lets EFM track farmworker camp locations, plan site visits, and keep track of their previous outreach.
- Mariposa AR, an augmented-reality app for the North Carolina Museum of Art that links two murals in downtown Durham to an exhibit on Frida Kahlo’s art.
Code the Dream is growing quickly. While classes were originally in-person in Raleigh and Durham, they more recently moved online through a partnership with Treehouse. Now, Code the Dream’s students come from more than a dozen states, and the first remote interns started in the fall of 2019.
If you are interested in getting involved at Code the Dream, you can volunteer to be a mentor in one of our classes, act as a project mentor on a specific app, teach a professional development workshop for our interns, or donate to help us keep growing. Learn more at https://www.codethedream.org.