Registration is now open for Montgomery County Public Schools middle school students interested in attending the fourth year of the unique and innovative “Montgomery Can Code Camp” this summer. The free virtual program is a public-private partnership formed by Montgomery College, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) with Apple. It will offer an enriching and educational summer camp experience to learn computer coding.
The virtual, half-day camp enters this summer with a goal of tripling the number of program participants to 1,500 students. There will be five, weeklong Montgomery Can Code camps taking place from July 11 through Aug. 12, with a maximum of 300 students in each week-long session.
All virtual camps will run from 1-4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The camp schedule:
- Boot Camp 1 – Monday-Friday, July 11-15
- Boot Camp 2 – Monday-Friday, July 18-22
- Boot Camp 3 – Monday-Friday, July 25-29
- Boot Camp 4 – Monday-Friday, Aug. 1-5
- Boot Camp 5 – Monday-Friday, Aug. 8-12
Registration details and more information can be found at https://www.montgomerycancode.com/.
Students will learn the skills they need to pursue careers in today’s app economy by working in Swift, Apple’s open-source, easy-to-understand programming language. Students will experience the chance to solve real world problems by using coding skills they learn at the camp.
The Montgomery Can Code sessions are taught through Montgomery College’s Information Technology Institute by instructors trained in Swift code. Students receive a loaner iPad and a Montgomery Can Code T-shirt at the start of each session. At the week’s end, participants will receive a certificate of completion.
Students will pitch their app solutions in a Student App Showcase event following the conclusion of the camps.
“Montgomery Can Code is a direct investment in our students to make sure they are ready for a workforce that has already seen an increase in demand for highly skilled STEM workers,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “This collaboration between Montgomery College, MCPS, MCEDC and Apple has been expanding to serve more students over the past four years, and we are proud of what can be accomplished by working together.”
MCEDC will coordinate with local business leaders to interact with the students, adding a real-world element to the experience.
In a program extender, spring after-school coding clubs have been formed at select schools. Now in their second year, the after-school clubs give students additional coding experience.
"Montgomery Can Code embodies our County’s commitment to innovative learning that will prepare our children for the evolving workforce,” said County Councilmember Craig Rice, chair of the Council’s Education and Culture Committee. “Each year, we have increased the number of participants, giving more students the opportunity to develop a valuable skill set. I applaud Montgomery College, MCPS, MCEDC and Apple for their partnership in ensuring that every student can participate in the virtual environment. I’m confident that Montgomery Can Code will continue to thrive and grow thanks to the hard work of our program partners."
Learning code not only teaches the language of technology, it showcases new ways of thinking and prepares students for future careers. Local companies continue to search for highly skilled workers in fields like cybersecurity, app development, gaming, life sciences and hospitality technology. Early exposure to develop these skills provides students with a future advantage in being hired.
“Montgomery Can Code is an initiative that connects dots: .gov, .com, .edu and .org to address an important issue of creating homegrown talent for 1,000s of open IT jobs in our region while also advancing economic equity and inclusion,” said Sanjay Rai, senior vice president of academic affairs for Montgomery College. “Exposing middle schoolers to coding, app development, and complex problem solving will certainly create the next generation of IT professionals, and also the next generation of entrepreneurs who will expand our economy and create even more jobs. We are delighted that we are building on Montgomery Can Code by opening the new IgnITe Hub at Montgomery College. This new digital learning and innovation space will allow us to enhance our programs for middle schoolers while expanding opportunities to people of all ages including less affluent adults, college students and local businesses. We are having significant social and economic impact.”
The program is also important to the long-term goal of supporting the economic development future of the County.
“The Montgomery Can Code partnership with Apple continues to spotlight our commitment to invest in STEM educationto support our innovation-led economy,” said Benjamin H. Wu, president and CEO of MCEDC. “Each year, the program grows and provides important technical skills that are valued in today’s economy. We are proud of this partnership which brings together academia and the business community to invest in our future workforce.”
The Montgomery Can Code initiative adds to programs supported by MCPS.
“MCPS is thrilled to continue working with our partners to expand access for middle school students to the Montgomery Can Code summer camps and school-year coding clubs,” said Monifa McKnight, superintendent of schools. “We are committed to providing our students with engaging and innovative opportunities that build their skills and prepare them for the jobs of the future. We look forward to building upon these camps with new innovations through digital learning and the soon-to-be IgnITe Hub at Montgomery College.”
