Zip Code Wilmington and InterDigital Announce Outcomes of Inaugural B1ue N0te™ High School Technology Training Initiative
October 07 2021 - 8:30AM
Delaware’s premier non-profit coding school, Zip Code Wilmington,
in partnership with InterDigital, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDCC), a
Delaware-based mobile and video technology research and development
company, launched B1ue N0te™ in late 2020 and are now releasing
outcomes of the program. The B1ue N0te initiative exceeded program
expectations by training nearly 200 Delaware high school juniors
and seniors during the 2020-2021 school year and summer camp.
Designed to provide industry-standard computer programming and
web development training to local students, B1ue N0te attracted
underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged youth to learn
highly desired technical skills. The goal of B1ueN0te is to give
Delaware high school students the technical skills that could
interest them in pursuing further education in STEM fields or
additional training toward high-paying software development jobs
after graduation.
“We are thrilled with the outcomes of our first-ever B1ue N0te
youth tech training program, launched with generous support from
InterDigital and in close collaboration with the Department of
Education,” said Desa Burton, executive director, Zip Code
Wilmington. “Our focus was to implement the program in three
Delaware high schools, which we did during the first semester in
2021. By the second semester, enrollment quickly grew, and the
Department of Education expanded the program to a total of six
schools and two summer training programs, with a total of 200
students completing the programs. The increase in participants gave
our team the ability to observe how the curriculum performed based
on the varying needs of diverse high schools and our
educators.”
The B1ue N0te program was integrated into seven participating
high schools and two summer training programs including:
- Caesar Rodney High School (Kent County)
- Smyrna High School (Kent County)
- Conrad School of Science (New Castle County)
- Newark Charter School (New Castle County)
- William Penn High School (New Castle County)
- Indian River High School (Sussex County)
- Sussex Central High School (Sussex County)
- Summer Training Program: Delaware State University
- Summer Training Program: Caesar Rodney High School
“We are proud to see our vision for B1ue N0te come to life and
give under-resourced students the opportunity to access technical
knowledge and skills that give them an early start at a rewarding
career after high school graduation,” said Liren Chen, President
and CEO of InterDigital. “We are bridging the tech skills gap early
in the learning continuum with the help and expertise of Zip Code
Wilmington’s world-class curriculum and instructors. We look
forward to our continued partnership and implementing B1ue N0te in
more schools in Delaware in the years to come.”
Each school deployed the B1ue N0te program in different ways.
Some used it as the primary curriculum for front end programming
instruction while others integrated it into an IT hardware/software
course or used specific modules with their ongoing computer science
“pathways” courses.
While the gender and BIPOC makeup of each class differed based
on the school or summer camp setting, overall, the class
demographics demonstrated upwards of 33 percent female, 44 percent
African American, 31 percent Latinx, and 25 percent disabled, in
various combinations.
The B1ue N0te summer training program introduces coding and
programming to teens and encourages student enrollment for the
following school year. In one of this year’s inaugural B1ue N0te
summer programs, instructors trained 20 students in a condensed
curriculum of 40 hours of instruction in JavaScript, HTML and CSS
over four weeks. In a second program, students learned to program
drones using Python over a 4-day course.
“It’s programs like B1ue N0te that give students skills
training, mentorship and motivation to take their future into their
own hands,” commented Wade Robinson, MBA, associate
director, University Center for Economic Development and
International Trade at Delaware State University. “We were thrilled
with the outcomes of this year’s training for the National Summer
Transportation Institute, which was funded by Delaware Department
of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, and look
forward to future collaboration with Zip Code Wilmington and
InterDigital to put software development skills in reach for our
teens.”
About B1ue N0te B1ue N0te coursework is
centered around front-end computer programming using various
fundamental languages, including JavaScript, HTML and CSS. This
first of its kind co-teaching model and learning platform, taught
by Zip Code Wilmington’s industry expert instructors alongside
award-winning Delaware computer science and IT teachers, gives
students the unique opportunity to work on practical coding
projects, prepare code demonstrations, and have access to tutoring,
mentorship, and certification test prep assistance. Students
enrolled in the course may receive credit toward their career
pathway requirements as they are assisted by teachers certified by
the Delaware Department of Education in CTE coursework.
Zip Code WilmingtonZip Code Wilmington is a
12-week software coding bootcamp located in Wilmington, Delaware,
that gives adult learners the technical, interpersonal and
leadership skills needed to secure a competitive software developer
job and increase their earning potential. Zip Code Wilmington’s
program prepares its students to become highly qualified and
trained technology talent, while connecting students with corporate
partners throughout the program. Founded in 2015 by Ben duPont, Jim
Stewart, and Porter Schutt (Co-founders), the program has nearly
500 alumni. To learn more about Zip Code Wilmington, please visit
www.zipcodewilmington.com.
About InterDigital®InterDigital develops mobile
and video technologies that are at the core of devices, networks,
and services worldwide. We solve many of the industry's most
critical and complex technical challenges, inventing solutions for
more efficient broadband networks, better video delivery, and
richer multimedia experiences years ahead of market deployment.
InterDigital has licenses and strategic relationships with many of
the world's leading technology companies. Founded in 1972,
InterDigital is listed on NASDAQ. InterDigital is a registered
trademark of InterDigital, Inc.For more information, visit the
InterDigital website: www.interdigital.com.
Media Contacts
Zip Code Wilmington Andrea Martin E: andrea@consultmartin.comP:
443.927.6183
InterDigitalRoya StephensE: Roya.Stephens@InterDigital.comP:
202.349.1714
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