Free Programming Workshop

Build your first website with Django Girls in Grand Rapids!

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Django Girls

If you want to learn how to make websites, we have good news for you: we are holding a two-day workshop for beginners!

It will take place on February 3rd - 4th at Blue Medora in Grand Rapids, MI.

We believe the IT industry will greatly benefit from bringing more women and other individuals from underrepresented groups into technology. We want to give you an opportunity to learn how to program and possibly start your way to become a programmer!

Workshops are free of charge thanks to our sponsors. Don't wait too long to apply: you can apply for the workshop only until January 20th!

Apply for the workshop!

Anyone can apply for our event! You'll only need to bring your laptop. If you don't have one but are very motivated and intersted in participating, we encourage you to apply anyway and we will try to accommodate you. You don't need to know any technical stuff – our workshop is for people who are new to programming.

As a workshop attendee you will:

  • attend a two-day Django workshop during which you will create your first website
  • be fed by us: during our event, food is provided

Schedule:

Friday: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

  • Sign-in, Meet your team, Listen to a Short Welcome talk and Set up Computers

Saturday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

  • Everyone will be working on the Tutorial at their own pace. We will have breaks sprinkled throughout the day for food, rest, and talks by guest speakers.

We have space only for 40 people, so make sure to fill out the form very carefully!

Applications are now closed!

We will let you know of any future events!

FAQs - Question not answered here? Write us!

Do I need to know anything about websites or programming?

No! Workshops are for beginners. You don’t need to know anything about it. However, if you have a little bit of technical knowledge (i.e. you know what HTML or CSS are) you still can apply!

I am not living in Grand Rapids, can I attend?

Of course! If you're confident you can come, go ahead and apply!

Should I bring my own laptop?

Yes. We have no hardware, so we expect you to bring your computer with you, if you have one. If you don't have one, please email us and we will try to make arrangements. It is also important for us that you will take home everything you’ll write and create during workshops.

Do I need to have something installed on my laptop?

It would be helpful to have Django installed before workshops, but wouldn't expect you to install anything on your own. We will make sure that one of our coaches will help you out with this task.

Can I apply if I'm not a woman?

Everyone can apply and is welcome at Django Girls events. However, women, LGBTQ, POC and other under-represented groups will be considered first. Please refer to this post for more information on our policies.

Is food provided?

Yes. Thanks to our sponsors, snacks and lunch will be served during workshops.

More on the Grand Rapid's Chapter

Django Girls Grand Rapid's Goals

  1. Inspire women to fall in love with programming
  2. Support and mentor those that want to continue their programming after the workshop
  3. Build a revolving community: students become mentors
  4. Help increase women and individuals from underrepresented groups presence in the tech field
  5. Create a safe, non-threatening environment in the local tech communities

Who is this workshop for?

Django Girls is an organization that engages with people of all experience levels and helps them learn in a safe, supportive environment free of gender bias. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • people in socioeconomically suppressed communities looking to enrich their skill set
  • people looking to change careers
  • people in the field that want to add a new language to their resume
  • people in administrative/supportive roles in corporations that would benefit from an base understanding of programmming
  • people who are students that desire to learn more in order to help their educational experience
  • people who look to have more of an understanding of the process/best practices of this industry in order relate to others and increase networking opportunities/community impact
  • people who are small business owners looking to ease the financial burden of technology costs by being able to create solutions independently

Meet the People Making This Possible!

Wonderful Organizers


Dan Lindeman
@lindemda

Josh Yuhas
@joshua_yuhas

Our Awesome Coaches!


Bekah Suttner
@BekahSuttner

CJ Davis
@crevax

Dave
@brondsem

Jenni Mabie

Katherine Klinefelter

Keith Stouffer

Be a Coach!

We would be delighted if you would like to join us as a Coach, but we are all maxed out for now!

Django Girls

This workshop is a part of bigger initiative: Django Girls. It is a non-profit organization and events are organized by volunteers in different places of the world.

To see the source for the program find us on Github: github.com/DjangoGirls.

If you want to bring Django Girls to your city, drop us a line

Sponsors

We couldn't be here without the support from amazing people and organizations who donated money, knowledge and time to help us make this a reality. If you want to contribute and support our goal, please get it touch.

They already support The Django Girls Foundation ✨✨


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