NextGen Coders brings the world of coding, technology to students

WARNER ROBINS – A group of high schoolers started a nonprofit organization called NextGen Coders, helping youth with coding and technology.

CEO and Founder of NextGen Coders Michael Do is a junior at Houston County High School. He, along with a group of juniors and seniors, had a goal to empower youth in middle Georgia.

Do said they wanted to provide youth with the opportunity to learn coding for free. The group started offering classes in September 2024, the beginning of the school year.

At the beginning of every semester, students can register for classes on their website. The first semester starts in September and the second semester starts in late January or early February. 

Do said they can register for one of two classes they offer, the first a beginner JavaScript based block code class. He said this class focuses on the main ideas in coding rather than the small details. Students aged 10 to 17 can sign up for this class.

Students can also sign up for their second intermediate course, an introduction to programming with Python. The class teaches students about Python, a coding language. Do said this coding language is used heavily in the computer science industry for artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science. Students aged 14 to 18 can sign up for this class.

The courses span 12-to-13-weeks. Students will meet up every Saturday at the Middle Georgia State University Warner Robins campus. Do said the beginner course is an hour and 30 minutes long and their intermediate course is two hours. 

Do shared during the course NexGen Coders will teach various concepts that will allow students to develop algorithms, apps and the confidence needed to pursue a career in the technology field.

He also shared they have grown a lot since they started the organization. During their first semester, they started with 27 registered students, and they only offered their introductory JavaScript class. 

Starting this semester, they offered their intermediate course in Python. Their first meeting on Feb. 1 will have 70 students for both classes combined.

Do also shared they have gained a lot of support from the community. At the beginning, they hosted their meetings at the Nola Brantley Memorial Library because they offer a free meeting room. Now, they have a partnership with MGA Warner Robins campus and hold their meetings at the computer lab.

Do said they have also partnered with the 21^st Century Partnership, which has helped in guiding their organization by how to run it, how to improve engagement and how to reach out to a broader audience. They have also helped with funding since NextGen Coders is a nonprofit organization. 

“Since we offer free coding classes, funding has been an issue but with these new partnerships they’ve been able to sponsor us and help us achieve greater goals,” he said.

Do grew up in middle Georgia and since middle school, was interested in STEM, always wanting the chance to learn coding. Do and his friends would see games and inventions created through technology and they knew coding and programming was the backbone of creating the things they were interested in. 

Do has loved coding since he was little and admitted to having trouble at first due to the topic’s complexity. He also mentioned limited opportunities to learn. 

From eighth to ninth grade, he started to teach himself and realized how hard coding was; He thought it would have been easier if he had a mentor or a program that would allow him to learn more. Providing the class was a chance for Do to become the mentor he wished he had.

“Me and my friends realized that offering this at a free price point would allow students of all backgrounds to have this opportunity to pursue a career in STEM,” he said.

Do wants people to know that although coding seems scary, anyone can do it. He said with determination and hard work, anyone can become successful in the field.

He shared he has heard people say they don’t want to do coding; they don’t want to be involved in STEM and prefer to do another field. When they start learning more about it and use critical thinking and problem-solving skills, Do begins to see the shine in their eyes and knows they are enjoying coding. Do said he has seen people change career and life plans, switching to STEM based career goals and projects.

“Being able to see them realize, ‘Oh, I can do this; I finally understand it,’ that really means a lot to me as a teacher,” he said.

He said they want to also spread awareness for coding and how important it is for people who are interested, especially with its growing job market.

“We want to show that it’s not just all about sitting at a computer. It’s about communicating, it’s about how to solve problems and how it can actually just be a fun way to use your critical thinking skills,” he said.

Aside from classes, NextGen Coders plans to hold coding competitions and summer camps. Do also hopes to host full-day boot camps, where students can dive into coding and computer science.

“This will give them the opportunity to really just discover the field,” he said.

The organization’s goal is to provide students interested in coding a STEM supporting community. Seeing other STEM driven students gives them the support they need to thrive, Do believes.

“It’s really an opportunity for them to really grow as students and really learn together rather than separate, which is so important in not only coding, but everyday life, in any career that they wish to pursue,” he said.

According to their website, the Introduction to Programming with Python class is available. To find out more about NextGen Coders and to register, visit their website.

To stay updated on the organization visit their Facebook page.