NodeSchool SF

Immersing myself in the tech community (and community in general) has hands-down been one of my favorite things to do since moving to San Francisco in 2013. When I first thought I might be interested in learning to program a few years ago, I remember how desperate I was to find someone - anyone - who I could go to with my questions. Beyond that, it would have been amazing to find someone who made their way into the industry through “non-traditional” means (self-taught, attended an “immersive” aka “coding bootcamp”, etc) just so I knew that the path I wanted to embark on wasn’t restricted to another 4-year program. For these reasons (and many more), I try to take any opportunity I can to participate in coding workshops and similar events that are free to all those who are interested. At its core, these events allow everyone to meet other members of the community, get help on whatever they’re coding, or simply get their questions answered- from absolute beginner to industry professional.

With that, NodeSchool is definitely one of my favorite organizations to participate in. Granted, I’ve only been twice (once as a student, another as a mentor), but both have been amazing experiences with truly awesome people who want to help an eager group of learners, however possible. The curriculum is free and available on their site, and offers digestible lessons that range from the very basics of JavaScript, to more elaborate and specific “electives”, including frameworks and libraries like React, Koa, and WebGL. The courses are for the most part ran in your Terminal, and are a great way to quickly dive into a new technology and get a feel for things.

As you can already tell, if you haven't checked out NodeSchool yet, I would highly encourage you to do so! Whether you’re looking to attend as a student or a mentor, it is a great time, and know that you’re contributing to a community who will want to pay it forward and keep the learning going!