SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A weeklong spring break camp is teaching San Diego students how to code for computers.
The League of Amazing Programmers is now in its 11th year, giving students the tools to do the jobs of tomorrow.
"We don't teach Javascript or any of the dumbed-down computer languages," said League of Amazing Programmers Executive Director Vic Wintriss. "These kids are learning professional level Java, and we're the only school in the country that starts kids this young."
Students can take the camp as early as 5th grade. They spend two hours a day learning to code, for five straight days. After that, if they want, they can move into a 5-year program to learn more advanced coding.
Wintriss said about 75 percent of the kids that take the camp move on to the longer program. When they're done, they're ready for a job in computers.
"The starting salary for jobs like this in San Diego is about $100,000," he said. "That can change their entire life and help their entire extended family."
The best part is the program is free for a majority of students. Scholarships and grants help pay their tuition.
It's also targeted towards girls, low-income students and minority students. About 45 percent of the kids in camp this spring are girls.
"All these kids are the same," said Jackie Arseneau, a volunteer instructor. "They're all lovely, they're all eager to learn and they're all able to absorb these concepts no matter what their background is."
The classes are accredited by UC San Diego. After a few years in the program, the students are advanced enough to take the AP Computer Science Exam, earning them college credit.
The next camp will start this summer. To sign up, visit jointheleague.org.
