Is your child curious about puzzles, the Internet, computers and smartphones, websites and apps? They’re never too young to start exploring computing technology in Maine.

All the apps and programs you use everyday were created by people who wrote instructions that a computer can understand. Those instructions are called “code.” Code is at the heart of IT and computing technology work.

More and more Maine K-12 schools now offer math, computer science and other courses that can prepare your child for growth in this field. And there are endless possibilities to learn and practice coding online.

After high school, Maine’s colleges and universities now offer all the courses needed to help every Mainer who aspires to a computer tech job succeed.

Alternatively, our program encourages Mainers of all ages to get into tech careers through non-traditional pathways. We promote short-term certifications and the Microsoft Global Digital-Skilling Initiative. 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

TRY IT!

• Check out coding for beginners at Code.studio. You’ll find 20 hours of fun tutorials for all ages. (Kids who complete all of them are eligible for prizes!)
• Is your kid into art? They can try creating animations at Scratch.MIT.edu.

MORE THINGS TO TRY:

Play an Angry Birds game or try an Hour of Code…and don’t stop there!

WHAT ABOUT IN SCHOOL?

Do your math homework, and jump on any computer courses your school may offer.

Middle SCHOOL

TRY IT!

• Learn programming (or improve your skills) at Code.studio.(Warning: your head may swell from realizing you are indeed a genius!)

MORE THINGS TO TRY:

Check out the intro to programming at KhanAcademy.org/cs.

WHAT ABOUT IN SCHOOL?

• Take the most advanced math courses available.
• Take any computer courses offered, or ask your school about starting one.
• Join a robotics or coding club—or start one!

High SCHOOL

TRY IT!

• Create your own app using the App.Lab at Code.org. (Imagine your friends’ faces when they have to buy it!)
• Find a ton of cool tutorials at Learn.Code.org.

MORE THINGS TO TRY:

Enter Tyler Technologies’ Maine App Challenge—you could win a scholarship to learn app design...and gain the respect of every geek you know!

WHAT ABOUT IN SCHOOL?

• Take the most advanced math and computer science courses available.
• Ask if you can take a more advanced computer course at a local college or online.

After High SCHOOL

Seventeen college/university campuses in Maine are just the start of your options for education in computing after high school! There are also online resources, coding boot camps, like Eleven Fifty, and alternative pathways to IT careers.

All college-level courses focus on general principles, but each class uses different tools, software, and applications to demonstrate those principles. Computing technology skills can be used in everything from math and electrical engineering to linguistics, psychology, and art.

How to choose? Talk to friends, older students, teachers, and school administrators. Check out the different campuses. And check your own goals and commitment to make them a reality—earning a bachelor’s degree in computing and IT requires a lot of studying and lab time, just like most other degree programs. If you think you have what it takes, get ready for an exciting and challenging path to a great career.

You can also check out CS Connected, a program of the University of Maine and Project>Login