The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) recently announced the official launch of Code Stack Academy, Stockton’s first accelerated software engineering school. The immersive coding school provides a route for students pursuing careers in technology and will help build a community of software engineers in the region ready to meet the growing demand for a highly skilled workforce.
“From our job-readiness programs for young adults to our expanded effort to increase access to cutting-edge STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to K-12 students, the SJCOE is committed to supporting the education of students in the county to prepare them for college and career,” County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas said. “We are excited to continue this commitment to preparing students for their futures with the opening of Code Stack Academy. Students will have opportunities to find well-paid jobs with local businesses in need of workers with software-engineering skills.”
Code Stack Academy offers a combination of hands-on workshops, one-on-one mentoring with career-experienced developers, peer-to-peer learning, and real-world project experience. It uses project-based “gamification” to measure progress and provide a fun and engaging experience. Students gain points as they complete projects. Points allow progression through the curriculum.
In addition to the full, nine-month Academy Course, Code Stack offers three-day and one-day Foundation Workshops throughout the year that teach core concepts of web development and equip students with all the basics to develop simple websites. No previous coding experience is required for either the Foundation Workshop or the Academy Course. Students must be 18 years or older to enroll. The first nine-month Academy Course begins in November.
Code Stack Academy will be operated through the SJCOE’s Center for Educational Development and Research (CEDR), a software engineering department responsible for building web, software, or mobile apps used by over 5,000 school districts nationwide and over a dozen state agencies.
“We have the resources, curriculum, expertise, and experience to provide a broad and deep dive into software engineering,” said Johnny Arguelles, director of CEDR. “And as an employer, we know firsthand the challenge in recruitment and retention of software engineers.”
Business and government leaders voiced their support for the new Code Stack Academy and its potential to benefit San Joaquin County.
“Code Stack Academy is another innovative teaching and training program offered by the County Office of Education. Our community needs a workforce trained in technology to support growth of our current businesses and attract others to our area. This program will help to meet those needs,” said Jane Butterfield, president and chief executive officer of the Business Council of San Joaquin.
More information about Code Stack and how to enroll can be found at https://codestackacademy.org. A video can be found at http://bit.ly/CodeStackVid.
