CODe on the road – College of the Desert coding programs for kids
The CODe on the Road program delivers educational experiences in technology to those that need it the most. A Professor from College of The Desert, Felix Marhuenda- Donate wanted to create a program that would elevate the minds of young people in underserved communities and he used his influences at the College to reinvent the program he started back in 2017.
District 1 representative in Palm Springs Grace Garner gave him the idea of starting back in Vista Del Monte. Marhuenda-Donate said, "Why stop there? Let's take it on the road." The President of College of the Desert, Dr. Martha Garcia, permitted the program that the Edison international donated the funds through the College of the Desert Foundation to make this program possible.
In years past, they have conducted various free successful summer “coding boot camps” sessions called CODe at the Palm Desert and Indio campuses with the goal of providing that critical intervention.
The CODe on the Road program will mimic the structure of the CODe program but instead will be delivered at different locations throughout the Coachella Valley.
Professor Marhuenda-Donate says the plan for this summer is to offer the program at Palm Desert, Indio, Vista del Monte (PS), JOJ (PS), DHS (Wenzlaff), Coachella (Library), and Mecca/Thermal (COD campus).
Although we are tech-focused, Professor Felix Marhuenda-Donate talks to the students daily about what college or university is. "I want them to start thinking about themselves as college students regardless of what major they choose, " Marhuenda-Donate said. He will go over different majors, careers, wages, scholarships, etc. so that the information is accessible to every student in his program. He hopes to gain more students all over the Coachella Valley.
