Ctrl+Shift

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The Ctrl+Shift coding competition provides high school students in Philadelphia with a unique opportunity to showcase their web development skills. With mentoring sessions, expert judges, and cash prizes, it's an excellent platform to challenge yourself, have fun, and sharpen your coding skills.

Program TYpe:
Competition
Age Group:
9th-12th Grade
Format:
In-Person + Virtual
Prerequisite:
None
This Program Includes:
Build programming skills
Mentorship from tech professionals
Opportunity to showcase tech skills
Chance at cash prizes

Description

Now in its 7th year, the Ctrl+Shift coding competition offers a unique opportunity for high school students in Philadelphia to showcase their web development skills, gain valuable experience, learn from experienced mentors, and have the chance to win cash prizes. After several weeks of workshops and mentoring sessions, the students present their websites to expert judges who evaluate them based on design, functionality, and overall user experience. Ctrl+Shift serves as an excellent platform to challenge yourself, have fun, and sharpen your coding skills.

What You'll Learn

•   Web Development
•   Introduction to Design Thinking and UX
•   Introduction to UI Design
•   Product Management

Who this Competition is For

•   Students in grades 9-12 in the Greater Philadelphia Area
•   Students with a coding background (experience with HTML and CSS)

Schedule/Important Dates

•   January 8 - Registration Opens
•   March 1 - Registration Closes
•   March 4 - Orientation, virtual (6:00-6:30 pm)
•   March 6 - Workshop 1
•   March 9 - Mentor Session 1
•   March 13 - Workshop 2
•   March 16 - Mentor Session 2
•   March 20 - Workshop 3
•   March 23 - Mentor Session 3
•   March 25 - 30 - Spring Break
•   April 3 - Workshop 4
•   April 6 - Mentor Session 4
•   April 12 - Round 1 Submissions Due
•   April 22 - Finalists Selected
•   April 27 - Workshop 5: Finalist Prep Session
•   May 3 - Finalist Submissions Due
•   May 11 - Final Competition, in-person

Workshops are held virtually on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:00 pm

Mentor Sessions are held in person at the CBK offices (3624 Market Street) on Saturdays from 10:00-11:30 am

Prizes

•   First Place: $5,000
•   Second Place: $2,500
•   Third Place: $1,000

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can sign up for the program?
The program is open to high school students in the Philadelphia area. In order to compete, students must have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS.

When is the competition held?
This is a 6-week program, with the workshops and mentoring sessions beginning in early-March leading up to the competition finals on May 11th.

Will the program be in-person or virtual?
The program is hybrid with both virtual workshops and in-person mentoring sessions. The final competition is in-person.

Is there a cost for enrollment?
No, CBK programs are free for all participants. The Ctrl+Shift finalists will receive cash prizes.

I’ve participated in the competition before, may I enter again?
Any previous participant in the competition that has been awarded a prize for their submission may not enter this year. Any previous entrant who meets the eligibility requirements and hasn’t been awarded a prize previously may compete again.

What Students are Saying

“As someone who's interested in going into computer science, especially web development, it's always a great opportunity to work with Coded by Kids. It gives you such an amazing opportunity to come together with your friends and peers to network, develop your skills and learn about so many different facets of design.” - Sultan, student
“Ctrl+Shift was an amazing experience for me because I could teach and learn from students at the same time. Pushing students to think outside of the box when approaching problems is one of my favorite parts of teaching, and I got to do that while learning about their interests as they designed their websites.” - Jesse, CBK Instructor
"Since I started this program, a new career path has opened. Originally, I wanted to go to college for some sort of mechanical or civil engineering. But now, there's this new option…and that's that's huge to me." - Spencer, student
"It's just really amazing getting to work with just such a diverse group of kids with so many different interests and both in the technology that they're using as well as in how they're applying it and how they're using technology to share with the world, the things that they love and that they want other people to know about." - MaiAda, volunteer

Program Overview:

Our Generous Funders:

Comcast NBC Universal
SEI
Seer Interactive
Comic Relief
Jornaya
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