#DFGives: Students Learn to Code at Dreamforce

Dreamforce is not just for adults — we will be joined this year by hundreds of kids, so get ready! This year we’re hosting 375+ middle and high school students to take part in coding and young entrepreneur workshops. Students will come from all over the Bay Area including SFUSD, The Hidden Genius Project and ​Envision Academy of Arts & Technology in Oakland.

This week at Dreamforce, we’ll have 15 coding workshops in 2 coding classrooms running throughout the week in the Dev Zone and at Salesforce.org Expo in Moscone West. ​Workshops will be hosted by world-class organizations ​including ​Black Girls CODE, BUILD, Code.org, Coderdojo, Girls Who Code, Lemonade Stand, Microsoft, Mission Bit, ​​Technovation​,​ and a collaboration between The Hidden Genius Project, KQED and the Bay Area Video Coalition​.

Examples of the youth coding sessions include:

• Mission Bit students will take a video game of a 3-D ball rolling through a maze and modify the graphics and gameplay mechanics using javascript.
• Code.org will be demoing their online computer science tutorials and learning tools, including the new AppLab that enables students to create their own apps.

Learning to code is only the first step. We also have programs designed to grow the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. In our Technovation session, girls will come together and form teams to brainstorm community issues and potential solutions in the form of mobile apps. And keep an eye out for the Lemonade Stand at the Dreampark. Staffed by students who are participating in an entrepreneurial program, and using Salesforce to track lemonade sales in an app they’ve built themselves, it’s a great example of how we’re engaging youth to build their skills using Salesforce technology. BUILD also has a hands-on challenge where students will work together to solve a problem where they explore how plastic packaging rings are harmful to the environment and wildlife and innovate new, better ways to package soda.

Giving back is a big part of Dreamforce and with #DFGives, this year we’re taking the theme of education to a whole new level with hands on coding workshops and workforce development for students integrated throughout the week. Be sure to stop by during your Dreamforce experience and learn more about how you can get involved in giving back with some of our great partner organizations!