Program Information

The High School Computing Program is the signature STEM program offered for Middle and High School students by the BDPA New Jersey Chapter at Bloomfield College, and has been offered to youth from the surrounding communities since the1980s. We welcome the participation of students from 7th – 12th grades. The program is held on Saturday morning from 10:00AM to 1:00PM starting February 2020 until the end of June 2020 at the Bloomfield College computer lab located at 2 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003. Please reference the calendar above for program dates.

Students initially participate in a 6 week introductory computer science curriculum based upon Python MC that will enable them to develop the skills to create applications within a team environment. After the introductory program, students will learn how to create more complex applications, and have the opportunity to test their skills through participation in field trips, and local and regional hackathon events.

Our program is student-centered and hands on. Sessions are facilitated by our Program Coordinator, and Peer Coaches who are current students at Bloomfield College majoring in computer science. In addition, guest speakers will include entrepreneurs who have created their own apps and industry professionals who will discuss current industry trends.

Five (5) students will be selected in May to represent the New Jersey chapter at the Annual Coding Competition in August based upon criteria such as: attendance, active participation, quality of coding skills, and the ability to work well within a team setting. The months of July and August are used to prepare the team for the Annual Coding Competition scheduled for August 20th – August 22nd in Atlanta, GA.

Fees

The cost to participation cost for the 2020 session is $75 per student. Families with more than one student participating, pay an additional $25 for each additional student. These funds are used to cover program costs. No profit is made. All staff are volunteers. Payment is due at the time of registration and can be made online on the BDPA New Jersey website under the HSCC section. If registration is not received by the second session, your student will not be able to continue to participate in the program until payment is received. In addition, each student must register as a student member with the National BDPA organization. The cost of the student membership is $25 and can be paid directly on the bdpa.org website.

The BDPA New Jersey Chapter has been helping others embrace technology since 1981.