How can you bridge the gap between teaching simpler visual programming tools and teaching more complicated textual programming tools? Julia Lamorelle’s answer is Python. Julia cofounded Kiwi Compute, a new education business that focuses on teaching middle school kids how to code in Python, a language widely used in academia and industry today. She talks about why Kiwi Compute has this education strategy and how it executes it, despite challenges in setting up a Python environment and attracting qualified teachers.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Kiwi Compute: https://www.kiwicompute.com/

• Python language: https://www.python.org/

• Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/

• Hour of Code: https://hourofcode.com/

• App for Python in a browser: http://app.kiwicompute.com/

• Learn Python the Hard Way: https://learnpythonthehardway.org/

• Code Academy: https://www.codecademy.com/

• Code.org: https://code.org/

• GigaTECHs winners announcement from the City of Austin: http://mailchi.mp/austintexas/us-ignite-and-city-of-austin-announce-gigatechs-winners?e=6befcb85d0

• GigaTECHs winners press conference: http://austintx.swagit.com/play/09212017-566

Our closing music is called “Katana” by Miros, used with permission, and you can find more tracks by Miros on SoundCloud, user “mirossound”: https://soundcloud.com/mirossound

Subscribe and find more podcast information at: http://www.k12engineering.net. The K12 Engineering Education Podcast is a production of Pios Labs: http://www.pioslabs.com. Support Pios Labs at: https://www.patreon.com/pioslabs

Also check out these projects from Pios Labs:

• Guidebook “Engineer’s Guide to Improv and Art Games” by Pius Wong, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers: http://www.pioslabs.com/improv4design.html