Warning: Nostalgic Vibes ahead!
It's been quite a while since the 16th of May 2022, when our first students had only just set foot in the brand new classroom on Level 5 of Fuel Studios, anticipating the beginning of a brand new journey but not necessarily knowing what it would entail.
Leading our very first Cohort of students on their first tech-reconnaissance journey, as a Tech Ed team, we can confidently say that we've learnt as much along the way as we have given back and taught. When it all began, the only thing we knew for certain was that we had the knowledge, passion, drive and ambition to educate people from various backgrounds and walks of life and to introduce them to the great big world of tech.
Our aim was to give our students — regardless of the level of their prior coding knowledge or tech experience — a solid theoretical and practical foundation to bring them to a level where they can confidently spread their wings as junior developers and leave the nest, setting course straight for new opportunities.
Since the onset of that humble goal, our experience has been so, so much more than what we had hoped for! Over the 10-week course together we have truly bonded into a tightly-knit family unit with its own dynamics, interactions, traditions, quirks and environment — all coming together into a unique educational ecosystem.
We've checked all the boxes and established all the hallmarks of a truly functional community — ranging from the quirky inside jokes, imbued with inherent educational wisdom (such as the timeless advice of if you can't tell whether you know enough about the subject or not - explain it to the rubber duck! 🐥), to indulging ourselves with coconut-flavoured vegan ice creams on a hot summer day (obviously only as a treat after a particularly productive study session!), to seeing and supporting each other through the various challenges and circumstances which had come up in the duration of our time together.
In regards to the latter, it was a priceless chance to learn how to navigate life's many complexities and finding ways to continue teaching and leading our students when all had occasionally pointed to the contrary. Thanks to our two brilliant Course Directors — Tim and V — there was always a way around anything and everything. Nothing could stand in the way of educational progress — the challenges would inevitably fall somewhere into the range between fixing a bug (unless the bug had occasionally decided to remain where it was as a feature) to combining on-site with on-line teaching, working around our students' needs, flawlessly integrating any technique or approach as long as it helped work around the unique circumstances of the moment.
As a result, the Demo Day on the 5th of August will be the culmination of the said journey, with both of our students at the finish line, proudly presenting their portfolios and final pieces to the wider public for the first time!
The event will be centred around our Graduates' presentations as the Demo Day's staple display, which you would gradually work your way through to as a member of the audience. Should you decide to join us on this day, the event will begin with our Director — James Adams — touching on Tech Educator's history and mission, which would smoothly transition to our Course Directors taking over and introducing you to our students and the more in-depth workings of their tech journey.
Finally, once you will have gotten to see the results of our Graduates' hard work, the event will come to a natural and pleasant end around the bar area with lots of food and refreshments provided to celebrate the occasion as well as giving you the opportunity to relax, network, and socialise!
About the Author
James has 8 years with Fortune 200 US firm ITW, experience of managing projects in China, USA, and throughout Europe. James has worked with companies such as Tesco, Vauxhall, ITW, Serco, McDonalds. James has experience in supporting start-up and scale up companies such as Readingmate, Gorilla Juice and Harvest London. James completed his MBA at the University of East Anglia in 2018.
