FAQs

What about trans/gender-nonconforming youths?

They are all welcome! Bit by Bit aims to support all genders that are underrepresented in the programming community.

Do you need any previous experience with coding to participate?

No! This program is designed for people with no previous exposure to web development at all. You do not need to be a computer whiz or a geeky person (though if you are, that’s great). All you need is a willingness to learn and try new things.

I have a 4th grader who really wants to sign up.

Email info@bitbybitcoding.org.

Do you teach (WordPress/Wix/Weebly/any other platform)?

Nope! We teach pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript! We don’t even use any libraries or frameworks. We feel it is essential to understand these core components of the web before using any tools built on top of them.

What if you already know how to program?

No worries; we’ll give you plenty of challenging tasks, no matter your skill level.

Why is it limited to only girls?

We believe learning to code is a great experience for anyone, but we only have the resources to teach a limited number of students. Many camps exist already where boys can learn to program, and, while girls are technically allowed at these camps (and it’s always great when they attend them!) many find it very intimidating and isolating to be one of the only females in the room. According to the 2019 StackOverflow developer survey, 92.1% of professional developers are male. For the 7.5% that are female, they must face a workplace where all their mentors, peers, and bosses are men. I can speak from experience as the only woman in many classes I’ve taken; it’s hard. Girls are actually as good (some studies even suggest better) programmers than guys, and at young ages they share the same level of interest. But, in middle school, they start to lose interest in programming and turn to more traditionally female roles. We aim to change that by showing girls how fun, useful, and powerful programming can be! So, sorry boys, but it’s time to give the girls a turn.

Do you provide computers?

Computer access is required in order to participate. However, because camp is now online, we are unable to provide laptops to students. If you have a Chromebook or other personal computer, please make sure parental restrictions aren’t too tight on the laptop. Sometimes excessive restrictions can disable tools that are commonly used for programming. To test if restrictions are too tight, open a browser and press command (or control) + shift + i. If nothing happens, the restrictions are likely too tight.

What if I have more questions?

No problem! Please email info@bitbybitcoding.org.