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New live coding and workshop event schedule

Quick weekly coding sessions with our mentors

Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 30-minute rapid live coding sessions.


What is live coding?

Live coding is what it sounds like. We share our screen with you and type in code “on-the-fly”. Maybe things work, maybe things don’t. The important part is that you get to see the thought process of the coder, especially when things don’t work – how do we figure things out? What resources are used? These are skills that don’t get taught in a regular classroom.


What is a TORCH Live Coding session?

Our live coding session is a casual 30-minute experience where our speaker (live coder) shares their screen while they code something from scratch. There will be no official presentation or PowerPoint slides. Audience members should try to follow along on their own computers and feel free to ask questions. In the beginning, a lot of coding is about trying things out and identifying the patterns. Search up the rest later!


Do I need to pay to attend these sessions?

No. All sessions are free and open to the public.


Who are these sessions geared towards?

We generally gear these sessions towards teens and young adults but are open to anyone interested in learning more about coding.


Who are the live coders?

Our live coders consist of college and graduate students who learned to code via college classes, online resources, or a combination of both. These speakers may not know the best, most efficient way to code something. Even if they did, they may choose to show a simpler method that will be easier to understand. Our live coders are also not trained speakers or teachers. We depend on our audience members to make the most out of these sessions by asking questions if things are unclear.


When are we offering these live coding sessions?

We plan to offer these sessions every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 – 7:30 pm. Unfortunately, late evenings are the only times we could keep consistently open due to the busy schedule of our college and graduate students.


What topics will be covered?

Topics for each session depend on our volunteers’ interests and experiences. The interests of our current team include web development, cyber security, data science, and machine learning.


Why are we offering this?

There is so much to learn. Technology is evolving rapidly, and it will be increasingly challenging for the education system to keep up as technology becomes more complex. We believe that learning to code, especially at a young age, is a particularly useful skill for any field of study. Coding develops critical thinking, grit, and intuition about how software works. Many free classes and online resources are available elsewhere to learn how to code, but sometimes it’s nice talking to a real person for advice and direction. We hope to provide this as an opportunity for audience members who are self-motivated to get a head start.


How do I sign up?

Sign up using this form. Our sign-up form is updated weekly with our finalized event schedule. If you would like a sneak peek at what we have planned for the month, check out our Events calendar.