KIPP Northeast gives students a crash course in computer coding
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Knowledge Is Power Program or "K.I.P.P." wants to make sure these kids are prepared for the future.
And KIPP Northeast College Preparatory is doing just that with their coding program.
Students in the Principles of Information Technology course know a thing or two about numbers.
"It's just a lot of dividing," said sophomore Liseth Aguilar. "It's just ones and zeros."
Coding was the last thing Aguilar thought she would be doing.
It's also the last thing she thought she would actually enjoy.
"Everything that you do on the computer, there's a code that goes for it," Aguilar said.
Aguilar wants to work in the music industry, but she wants to learn coding to set herself apart.
"I realized how much stuff involves computers going into the recording," Aguilar said. "I came into this class with like a mindset of, 'Oh, this can help me with my future career.'"
Sophomore Gustavo Pedraza is another student who sees the benefit of the course.
"It's fun for me," Pedraza said. "Coding is basically everything that makes a computer work."
Conrad Medrano, who teaches the coding class, knows it's a lot of hard work that goes into teaching the class. But he also knows it's paying off.
"Computer science technology is everywhere and it touches everything we do," Medrano said. "It's important for our kids to know how it works."
While the kids learn how coding impacts their everyday life, he knows it can extremely difficult."
"It's a lot of trial error," Medrano said. "It's always nice to like see the frustration melt away from their face as they actually see their web page come to life."
A lot of trial and error, but with hopes that it will pay off.
"A lot of those kids tell me they have interests in a variety of careers, but think that coding will help them," Medrano said. "I find it just as gratifying when their stuff comes together."
