Archive for BrainStation

BrainStation To Teach 2,500 Canadians To Code For Free

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 14, 2015 by itnerd

BrainStation is a progressive educational institution that is powering the next generation of creators. BrainStation offers courses, workshops and customized events in technology, business, design and marketing.

Computer Science Education Week, which is December 7-13th, 2015, is an annual program started by code.org to inspire the public to take interest in digital skills. In conjunction with this, BrainStation has created Toronto Learns to Code to promote and participate in this week long initiative! Toronto Learns to Code is a week long training opportunity for non technical individuals to learn the ins and outs of web development. Participants will learn the basics of HTML5 and CSS3 through a hands-on project, led by industry professionals to gain a new comprehension of coding. The best part, we will run this FREE for anyone that registers! BrainStation will also be hosting Speaker Series during lunch time hours featuring industry leaders throughout the week to dig deeper into all things digital.

Why Code?

Personal and Professional Development

  • The real value of learning code isn’t in the mastery of the tools; it’s in the internalization of the methods, the analysis, and the critical thought process that are the foundational skills of all great programmers.
  • Programming provides methodology to approach whatever challenges one will face in the future
  • Coders have an unrestricted perspective that keeps them curious.

Economic Importance

  • Information technology was one of the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields with the most job postings in the U.S. in 2013
  • More and more jobs require some aspect of programming – future occupations will rely on individuals knowing how to code.

For more info, check out this link.

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BrainStation Academy Hosts Hack That Page Event For High School Students

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 31, 2015 by itnerd

Fuelled by Konrad Group, a global leader in technology, BrainStation offers part-time courses in business, design & development. It is also one of the first tech schools to offer specific programming to youth from grades 9-12 with BrainStation Academy.

On Saturday, February 7th, BrainStation Academy is hosting Hack That Page!, a free introduction to web development course for Toronto high school students, offering students the opportunity to learn about the importance of digital literacy and be inspired by industry experts from Shopify and Twitter. By the end of the event, over 150 students will leave the workshop equipped with their very own website and basic knowledge of web development.

This sounds like a very interesting event and I will see if I can attend to share what goes on during the event. Stay tuned!

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In Depth: BrainStation

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 17, 2014 by itnerd

Despite what you might be reading, there is a labor shortage. Specifically in engineering and IT.  An recent article said for every seven job openings in engineering and IT in the GTA, there was just one qualified recent graduate of a post-secondary program. That’s a serious problem.

Toronto based BrainStation Education is trying to change this. Their purpose is to bring web development to the masses by challenging traditional teaching methods. 

BrainStation offers 12-week part-time courses in web and mobile development. Students learn to build technology under the guidance of industry professionals. They use a blended learning approach where students are assigned work to be completed at their own pace and can work. The part-time course offering empowers students to learn and work in tandem if they want to. Upon completion, students will have developed the skills and the portfolio needed to compete in a workforce increasingly driven by technology. 

Many of BrainStation’s students are young professionals looking to develop marketable skills. Some are entrepreneurs preparing to build their businesses, and others are looking to make a drastic career shift into the expanding technology sector.

In order to guarantee students receive the attention they need, BrainStation equips each class with one instructor per six students. Classes are hosted out of coworking spaces like Project: SPACES at King and Bathurst, The Fueling Station in Liberty Village and Extreme Startups at Queen and Bathurst, essentially in otherwise unused space time. These co-working spaces connect students with Toronto’s vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurs and startups. In other words, low class sizes in places where people can connect with those who might hire them is a win for all concerned. 

BrainStation hosts complimentary coding workshops for complete beginners on the last Tuesday of every month. Check out http://www.meetup.com/BrainStation/ for more details. If you’re in the Greater Toronto Area, check it out. 

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