By Erik Gillespie

One of the best gifts I ever received from a friend was learning how to code. I used to (and still do) play lots of video games. I loved the idea of making one of my own someday, but I had no idea how. When I moved to Michigan in 7th grade, one of my first new friends introduced me to programming and changed my world forever.

Learning to code was empowering. Unlike a lot of what I learned in school at the time, I could use code to do real things and solve real problems (seriously — I made programs to do my math homework). It was so practical. I could draw on my creativity to make whatever I wanted. And nowadays, learning to code is more accessible than ever.

Now I love sharing that pivotal moment of my life with others and helping them learn how awesome it is to code. I teach web development at MSU, I host monthly tech events that are all about inspiring and introducing people to tech, and the best part is that I’m not the only one doing this! Lansing has a great tech community and you can discover it at Lansing.Codes.

Some of us are also putting together Code Lab 517, where you can use the same tools and processes as real web developers to learn how to code. Each topic comes with a project, is submitted using version control, code reviewed by professional mentors, and published live on the web. In other words, you’re coding on day one and wind up with a nice portfolio at the end of the three-week program. We cover everything from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to SQL, Firebase and React.

Lansing’s tech scene is blossoming and I’m glad to be a part of it. There are amazing organizations supporting it, lots of local tech companies hiring, and so many people in tech who love to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.

Learning to code in Lansing means having a great support group, plenty of jobs to choose from, and a really great gift that loves to give back.

If you want to learn to code or know someone who does, send them my way. Code Lab 517 starts on October 15 and I’d love to help you learn these new skills!