Learn to Code While Donating to COVID-19 Relief

A few weeks ago, I started a fundraiser by the name of Quarantine Coders. The idea is to offer donation-based coding classes to students grades 1 to 12, and donate all proceeds to COVID relief.

As an Ismaili Muslim, I had been exposed to the values of service, community and pluralism from a very young age. My identity as an Ismaili Muslim almost went hand-in-hand with being an active contributor to civil society. Pre-coronavirus, I was conducting and managing various coding classes (Python, LEGO Robotics, Arduino and Android App Development) for elementary school students across 3 states. Some of these classes were specifically for members of my community, while others were for more diverse audiences. Once the global pandemic hit, not all of these classes could move towards virtual instruction. A reduction in the number of classes meant that I had a lot more time on my hands which gave me the perfect opportunity for me to start Quarantine Coders.

The first step to starting Quarantine Coders was to build a website. I am a software developer by profession, so I put together a website and published it within a couple of days. The next step was to find human resources. I reached out to my networks and asked people to spread the word. Within a week, I had received a few dozen applications. I quickly assembled a small team of about 10 people. This diverse team comprises of volunteer instructors from prestigious institutions like NYU and Columbia including a full-time teacher (our current Head Instructor), a data scientist, some engineers, bootcamp professors and college students on the CS track. It was surreal to see all of these people come together for a cause they believed in.

Initially, we all wore multiple hats. Our curriculum designers volunteered to teach and participate in student outreach. One of the weeklong instructors volunteered to take responsibility for our Instagram page while another started designing graphics for our Facebook page.

One of my favorite facts about my management team is that 100% of us are women of color. Instructors are about 90% female. This wasn’t intentional from my side. I had simply looked at the interested applicants and reached out to the ones who seemed most qualified. They all just happened to be women of color. It is unsettling that we don’t see that kind of representation in most tech companies.

As of today, Quarantine Coders has been offering classes for 2 weeks. We have raised $2,000, developed curriculum for 4 weeklong camps, reached students in over 8 states and 3 timezones and offered over 300 volunteer hours.

Why go for a Weeklong Virtual Camp?

• Daily Sessions: Every day for 5 consecutive days. (Monday-Friday)

• 5 students MAX per instructor, personalized learning and attention along with time to socialize with new friends.

• A productive schedule including 1.5 hours of live instruction and peer collaboration +  30 minutes of self-paced project development per day.

• All the magic of camp including games, challenges, and creating new Quarantine Coders traditions you won’t find anywhere else!

Camps Offered:

We currently offer donation-based camps to students grades 1 through 12. With a 5:1 student-teacher ratio, we ensure each student receives personalized attention. Each class is hosted on a Zoom call. All camps are one week long.

We currently offer 4 Camps: Android App Development (grades 4-6), Junior Android App Development (grades 1-3), Python Programming (grades 4-6) and Web Dev (grades 7 & up).

Upcoming camps include: How to Build a Portfolio (grades 10 & Up), Computer Aided Design (grades 6-9), Python Programming II, and Scratch Programming (grades 1-3).

JR Android App Development

Recommended Grades: 1st to 3rd Grade

Dates: Multiple

Time: 6:00PM – 7:30PM EST | 5PM – 6:30PM CT | 3PM-4:30PM PST

Total Hours: 7.5 hours of live instruction + 2.5 hours of self paced projects.

Exclusively designed for young go-getters who have never taken an app development course before. In just one week, students will be equipped with the skills to program any beginner-level app on the app inventor.

By the end of the week, you will be able to speak, read and think like a programmer!

Examples of apps students will develop: Virtual Pet App, Finger Painting App, Mole Masher

Android App Development

Recommended Grades: 4th to 6th Grade

Dates: Multiple

Time: 6:00PM – 7:30PM EST | 5PM – 6:30PM CT | 3PM-4:30PM PST

Total Hours: 7.5 hours of live instruction + 2.5 hours of self paced project

Go from Beginner to Advance in just one week!

This camp is designed for go-getters who have never taken an app development course before. In just one week, students will be equipped with the skills to program any advanced-level app on the app inventor.

With our 5:1 student teacher ratio, each student gets personalized attention!

In this week-long virtual camp, you will learn the fundamentals of programming. Big elements of computational thinking include:

• Algorithms

• Abstraction

• Decomposition

• Pattern Recognition

• Generalization

At the end of the week, you will be able to speak, read and think like a programmer!

Examples of apps students will develop: Virtual Pet App (beginner), Magic 8 Ball (intermediate), Quiz Me (advanced).

Python Programming

Recommended Grades: 4th to 6th Grade

Dates: Multiple

Time: 6:00PM – 7:30PM EST | 5PM – 6:30PM CT | 3PM-4:30PM PST

Total Hours: 7.5 hours of live instruction + 2.5 hours of self paced projects

Many kids love to play games, so why not teach them how to make them? In this course, students will be using Python, the world’s most popular programming language to design and build their very own game. We will be teaching the basics of game development including functions, iterative loops, graphics, and variables. By the end of this course, students will have achieved at creating a Python turtle racing game that they can play and show to their friends and family. Not only will these skills teach them how to develop a game, but it will provide students with the foundational principles of programming.

Web Development

Recommended Grades: 7th Grade & Up

Dates: Multiple

Time: 6:00PM – 7:30PM EST | 5PM – 6:30PM CT | 3PM-4:30PM PST

Total Hours: 7.5 hours of live instruction + 2.5 hours of self paced projects

Do you use the World Wide Web? What’s your favorite website? In this course, you will learn how to make your own webpage! We will use HTML and CSS to design your very own webpages.

HTML is the markup language that you surround content with. CSS is the stylesheet language that you style the page with, to tell browsers to change the color, font, layout, and more.

At the end of camp, you will have a webpage (or multiple) to show your friends and family.

Please visit our website for more information: www.quarantinecoders.org. 100% of the proceeds go to COVID-19 relief. Classes are donation based, and all donations go to Feeding America, the New York State Leadership Council, or donating PPE.

*Update: For the month of June, Quarantine Coders is committing it’s proceeds to a Black Lives Matter cause, Reclaim the Block. 

About Kiran Bhimani

Kiran Bhimani is a software engineer working in cyber security at a financial firm. Last month, she founded Quarantine Coders — a fundraiser where students can learn how to code while also donating to COVID-relief. Kiran is passionate about bridging the gender gap in the tech world. A fun fact about Kiran — she occasionally does acting and modeling gigs!