CodeMasters offers engaging STEM after school programming for elementary and middle school students. See the CodeMasters brochure.
CodeMasters also provides accessible coding education through community workshops and classes aimed at fostering digital literacy and empowering individuals of all ages to learn basic programming skills. Read the November 2024 Weekly Challenger article about our work teaching residents to create mobile apps and fly drones at recent Community Tech Days in Pinellas County, Florida.
In CodeMasters After School, students meet at least weekly to invent and create through computer programming.
They work with committed certified teachers and/or FEF's computer science Ph.D. Fellows to understand the basics of coding and learn either to create animations or games, program robots or drones, or build web pages and mobile apps using proven code.org, Khan Academy, MIT, and other curricula.
Through this hands on exposure to STEM through coding, students not only learn mathematical and computational thinking concepts, but also gain insight into the inner workings of technology and learn strategies for thinking critically, solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas, a group of skills useful for everyone.
Why Learn to Code?
For the 2024-2025 school year in Hillsborough County, CodeMasters teaches robotics, game design, animation, and drone programming to Kindergarten through 5th grade students at 29 Hillsborough County Elementary School HOST After School sites and at ten Tampa City and Hillsborough County Parks. Click the map for location details, and contact a location directly to enroll your child in after school programming.
APPLY FOR 2025 Summer Programs
Applicants must be in good academic standing at their schools
and must be able to attend all of the program days. To apply, please complete the form below
and click the "Submit" button. After we receive the application, we will contact the student's parent / guardian with additional information.
If you have questions, please call 813-272-2772 or email
Victoria @ FEF.
NOTE: All form fields marked with * below are required.
SUMMER CAMPS
During summer, CodeMasters offers engaging and intensive 5-6-week camps for elementary, middle and high school
students in select Florida cities designed to expose them to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) through coding within the context of Web design; artificial intelligence, mobile app development; game design and/or robotics. Some CodeMasters summer tech camps prepare students for Digital Tool or industry certification.**
In all camps, in addition to exploring STEAM in action, students work with certified teachers
and FEF's STEAM doctoral Fellows to review or learn grade-level academic skills; plan for middle / high school, college,
or advanced training programs with help from counselors and college representatives; tour college campuses;
receive career planning and entrepreneurship advice from professionals working in various STEAM fields;
and visit cultural and STEAM-rich venues to add realism to their studies.
**In industry certification camps, students will be eligible to earn 3 college credit hours
in certain majors once they pass their certification exams.
Web Design: Did you know that every single web page on the Internet
is built with a language called "HTML?" In this class, students learn the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript,
the building blocks of the web, and begin to design and develop their own web sites.
Artificial Intelligence: Are programmers developing Artificial Intelligence (AI)
applications that will replace the job of someone you know? In this class, students learn how to build their own applications
with AI and machine learning. They craft programs that incorporate generative AI and train their computers to mimic human intelligence in image recognition.
Mobile App Development: How often do you swipe and tap your way through
your favorite mobile apps? This class teaches students to create their own! They learn the fundamentals
of computer programming and mobile app development as they design and build their own apps to
run on smartphones or tablets.
Game Design: How much time do you spend playing video games?
Students leave this class knowing how to create their own! They learn the fundamentals of computer programming
and game design as they create their own 2-D video games.
Robotics and Drone Programming: Looking forward to riding in a self-driving car or taking spot-on aerial photography?
Students leave this class understanding the principles that make robots and drones work! They learn the fundamentals of computer programming and practice applying the principles of design thinking as they build and/or program their own robots and drones.
Academic Support: Students review the math, language arts and other concepts and skills
they should have learned by the end of the school year.
Career Exploration: Do you know what it takes to become a web/software developer, teacher,
doctor, or engineer? Students talk with professionals from a variety of career fields to learn how they can prepare
to do what they do.
Questions? Please contact 813-272-2772 or
Lyra @ FEF.
INSTRUCTOR TRAINING
Prior to the start of all programs, FEF holds dedicated training sessions, during which our certified trainers coach instructors on how to teach the selected coding curricula. In hands-on classes, instructors work through the student lessons, create coding projects, and explore best classroom practices for enhancing engagement and facilitating skill development. During the programs, our trainers continue coaching and monitor instructor progress.
For summer certification camps, FEF hosts a week-long Instructor Training Institute at which coding instructors spend several days working to attain the Digital Tool and industry certifications that they will in turn spend the summer preparing students to earn.
Web Design: Did you know that every single web page on the Internet
is built with a language called "HTML?" In this class, students learn the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript,
the building blocks of the web, and begin to design and develop their own web sites.
