VisionCoders Share How Coding Helped them do Better in School and Dream Big in STEM
“This program has also helped me realize that coding is something I want to do in the future.” – Jonathan Salgado, Brentwood STEAM School of Innovation
Three students received prizes in a competition among participants in the IDRA VisionCoders program, an eighth-grade computer science course developed by IDRA serving Title I middle schools in Bexar County.
In this innovative course, middle school students who are in at-risk situations become software designers who create educational games for younger students (their “buddies”).
In the reflection contest, the students wrote about how the program helped them do better in school and see their future in STEM and how they helped their buddies. Winners were awarded $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place along with commemorative certificates and trophies.
Get the award booklet with the full winning essays (pdf)
First Place – Diego Gonzales
8th Grade, Alan B. Shepard Middle School, South San Antonio ISD
“Learning coding at a young age opens lots of opportunities. Many jobs today, even in fields like science, art and medicine, require some knowledge of coding. By learning to code now, you are setting yourself up for success in the future… A VisionCoders class is a great place to start as it teaches you how to bring your ideas to life with the help of technology.”
Second Place – Jonathan Salgado
8th Grade, Brentwood STEAM School of Innovation, Edgewood ISD
“I learned that you must face your fears, and you must persevere to achieve success. This program has also helped me realize that coding is something I want to do in the future.”
Third Place – Gaven
8th Grade, Brentwood STEAM School of Innovation, Edgewood ISD
“Being a VisionCoder has meant a lot to me. It has helped me improve over the past few months with my academics and generally in my life and school… It has helped me see in the eyes of teachers.”
VisionCoders Opens Pathways to STEM
The IDRA VisionCoders program builds on the success of IDRA’s 40-year Valued Youth Partnership program, which improves school attendance rates and decreases discipline issues due to its valuing philosophy in practice.
VisionCoders serves hundreds of eighth-grade students in at-risk situations from school districts where fewer than 1% of students take a computer science class.
Students learn valuable computer science skills, and they improve their own computational thinking skills, computing identity and math skills. Through a project-based learning and design-thinking approach, they develop a digital portfolio of coding projects, including the educational math and reading games they program and tailor for their elementary buddies.
Using asset-based approaches to STEM-Computer Science education, this program builds-in opportunities for student inquiry and outside experiences that are exemplary practices for learning and student engagement.
This requires having well-prepared and knowledgeable teachers, which is why VisionCoders integrates focused high-quality teacher training.
The U.S. Department of Education funded the launch and study of this field-initiated, research-based program through 2024-25. We’re looking for community or foundation support for the upcoming school year.
Be a sponsor to help us keep the program alive!
For more information, contact Dr. Stephanie Garcia, VisionCoders project director and IDRA’s STEM and gender equity education specialist at stephanie.garcia@idra.org.
