Columbus Python Workshop

From OpenHatch wiki
Revision as of 19:53, 15 October 2012 by imported>Catherinedevlin (moved sponsor info)


What it is

The Columbus Python Workshop for women and their friends is a free, friendly, hands-on, beginners' introduction to computer programming.

Who it's for

The workshop is designed for true beginners to programming - absolutely no experience is assumed.

The primary target audience is women of all ages and backgrounds. Men can participate as the guest of a female attendee - that's where the "women and their friends" part comes in. If you're a man who wants to take part, ask a woman you know to join you. Don't underestimate the power of a personal invitation - you'll never know which of your friends just needs a nudge to try it until you give her that nudge.

Register

Space is limited, so sign up at the Central Ohio Python Meetup site Write Catherine if you have any questions.

Schedule

The specific dates are still to be set, but the workshop's general plan is:

  1. Friday evening (Jan. 18), 6:00 PM: Set up everyone's laptop to run Python programs, then go through self-paced tutorials (with each other's help) on the very basics.
  2. Saturday morning (Jan. 19), 10:00 AM: Mix of short lectures and self-paced work to flesh out your knowledge.
  3. Saturday afternoon: Do a real programming project!
  4. Afterward: Join the Central Ohio Python User Group for Project Nights, where you can continue your work on projects that interest you and keep learning from other Python programmers.

Sponsors

Thanks to Pillar for hosting the workshop at their brand-new office in Columbus' Short North!

We still have room for one more sponsor. It's a great way to let the community see your organization's commitment to the growth and future of the technology industry. Ask us for more details.

The workshop is presented by [PyOhio], and donations will be tax-deductable.

Past events and history

The workshop's format and materials were pioneered in Boston, and since then workshops have spread to Indianapolis, Portland, Chicago, Kansas City, and now Ohio. It's a proven series that has has successfully brought programming skills (and a lot of fun) to hundreds of women all across the country.

Why are we doing this?

Our goal is to increase Python community diversity through programming outreach events. Basic programming skills are so empowering and useful that we think everyone should have them, whether those skills lead to a career, a new hobby, or just a better understanding of the computers that surround us.
Read about other OpenHatch events »

With every workshop we get to dozens of women and their friends to programming in Python. We also strive to:

  • Show new programmers and the Columbus Python community examples of smart, confident, capable programmers of all backgrounds.
  • Bring new, awesome, diverse people into local Python programming communities through diversity and outreach events.
  • Inspire other people to run their own introductory workshops and outreach events, and to get more user groups thinking about diversity and outreach.

Huh? Python? Snakes? What?

Python is the name of the computer language that you'll learn to program in. It's a great programming language for beginners because it's easy to understand and use, yet it's also widely used for huge projects and serious professional work - it's a language you'll never outgrow.

Get involved

Organizers

The workshop is being led by Catherine Devlin, a veteran of the Indianapolis Python Workshop and a founder of the PyOhio Python programming conference. We're still looking for assistant teachers, so write Catherine if you've got a passion for code and a love for the community.

We're always looking for help in organizing and teaching Python workshops across the Midwest - if you're interested, join our mailing list and introduce yourself. We'd love to have you!