What We Do

IT Bootcamp

This 24-week class is tailored to adults seeking to make a change of career into the field of Information Technology (IT). Two nights per week, students will explore the fundamentals of IT to gain a practical understanding of the core concepts. Through a combination of lecture, guest speakers, homework, and hands-on labs, this class is designed to be beneficial to a variety of preferred learning styles.

The class will prepare students to take the CompTIA A+ exam, a certification that is universally recognized in the industry as having the equivalent of two years of experience in the field. This certification equips students with the skill sets needed for entry-level IT job opportunities upon graduating.

Providing all the information you need to earn your A+ certification, this course will cover: 

• The Physical Computer: Hardware components, peripherals, and Installation
• Operating Systems: Personal, Enterprise, and Server Operating Systems
• Networking Infrastructure: Switches, Servers, and Setup
• Understanding and Troubleshooting
• Professionalism and Business Conduct

In partnership with the Missouri Job Center, The Geek Foundation classes are at no cost to those who meet eligibility guidelines, and creates accessible education for underrepresented members of our community. For more information about the program, email info@thegeekfoundation.org or to enroll, contact the Missouri Job Center at 417-887-4343.

Information coming soon on the next round of classes.

Web Development Bootcamps

This 20-week class is tailored to adults seeking to make a change of career into the Information Technology (IT) and computer programming fields. Two nights per week, students will explore the fundamentals of front-end and back-end web development to gain a practical understanding of the core concepts of computer programming and its use in web development. Through a combination of lecture, guest speakers, homework, and hands-on labs, this class is designed to be beneficial to a variety of preferred learning styles.

Intro to Professional Full-Stack Web Development in JavaScript - 2 Units (20 Weeks):

• Unit 1: JavaScript - foundational programming concepts and front-end programming in JavaScript, including testing and Angular (a popular JavaScript framework)
• Unit 2: Skill Track - job-ready skills to build full-stack web applications using Java (with Spring Boot) or C# (with .NET MVC)

In partnership with the Missouri Job Center, The Geek Foundation classes are at no cost to those who meet eligibility guidelines, and creates accessible education for underrepresented members of our community. For more information about the program, email info@thegeekfoundation.org or to enroll, contact the Missouri Job Center at 417-887-4343.

Develop Yourself

The Geek Foundation's Develop Yourself programs are created to spark interest in computer programming, IT, and maker technologies through fun and interactive classes like web development, robotics, wearables, and Arduino and microcontroller programming. Our programs are free and held on a monthly basis at various Boys and Girls Clubs and libraries in the Springfield regional area, with upcoming adult programs at The Fairbanks and online starting Summer 2020. 

Girls Who Code

We are partnering with Girls Who Code to bring free computer science opportunities to girls across our community.

Girls Who Code Clubs are FREE after-school programs for 3rd-5th or 6th-12th grade girls to join a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models and use computer science to change the world. Clubs are led by Facilitators, who can be teachers, computer scientists, librarians, parents, or volunteers from any background or field. Many Facilitators have NO technical experience and learn to code alongside their Club members.

• 6th-12th grade Clubs program: Here’s an overview of the Clubs curriculum that focuses on a Girls Who Code Project where girls work in teams to solve a real world problem they care about through code. 
• 3rd-5th grade Clubs program: The fun and engaging curriculum is a book club model where students learn from Girls Who Code’s best-selling book Learn to Code and Change the World and participate in interactive activities that can be run completely offline with optional online activities.

CoderDojo

We also run and help others set up CoderDojo clubs. CoderDojo is a global, volunteer-led movement of free, open coding clubs (Dojos) for young people aged 7 to 17!

At a Dojo, the participants, who we call Ninjas, learn how to code, develop websites, apps, programs, and games, and explore technology in a fun and creative way. Ninjas also meet like-minded peers, work on exciting team and individual projects, and learn valuable social and transferable skills for the future.

We love to help you and your community learn more about tech. If you're looking for a speaker or volunteer for any IT-related activities you're organizing, give us a shout at info@thegeekfoundation.org!

We have experience speaking and facilitating at various local events such as:

• Annual Girls CS Luncheons in Bolivar and Springfield
• CSI Springfield
• Hour of Code activities at various schools in the Ozarks

Reach out today if you have any idea that you'd like to see come to life.