By: Andrew Dinh
Computer science is all the rage in Silicon Valley, leaving its mark on every startup in the Bay Area. In a technology-driven era, knowledge of coding is a huge boon. The Milpitas Unified School District has yet to incorporate coding into its curriculum, so Senior Luke Ren took matters into his own hands and created One-Up! Coding, a summer coding program.
One-Up! Coding focuses on teaching the Java programming language in a unique way, Ren said. Rather than reading boring and niche lessons, students learn how to apply the coding language to solving real-world problems using graphical user interfaces and file editing modules.
“Coding is a universal skill that is applicable to almost every occupation in the real world, and so I wanted to make sure that the skill was available to every demographic,” Ren said. “I also wanted to ensure that practical applications for coding, such as graphical user interfaces and prototyping, were taught over extraneous text algorithms.”
Fluent in over 7 different coding languages, from C# to Ruby to C++, Ren is capable of building complex neural networks using code, Ren said. However, he understands the struggles students face when they first learn how to code, having been in their shoes.
“I know what it’s like to learn how to code from the high school student perspective, and I make sure to keep that perspective in mind when I teach my lessons,” Ren said. “I faced so many challenges on the way and I want to help others learn from my experience.”
After dedicating hours to learning how to code and obsessing over the nuances of his lesson plans, Ren is committed to this program’s success, Ren said. He intends to continue teaching One-Up! Coding every summer, even after he graduates from high school.
“My goal for this program is to secure a physical location where coding can be taught by multiple trained volunteers and eventually branch off into other school districts also lacking adequate coding programs,” Ren said. “I hope that we can eventually cover all sorts of coding languages rather than just Java.”
Although Ren taught his coding program over the summer via livestream, lessons are recorded so that One-Up! Coding is free and easily accessible for all, Ren said. Recordings are available on YouTube at One-Up! Coding’s channel.