In addition to the outdoor music performances, food trucks, and vendors market during AthFest, festival goers will have a new activity option this year: youth code classes offered during the weekend by local economic development nonprofit Four Athens. Two different classes are scheduled for Saturday June 25th and Sunday June 26th.

Describing the impetus behind offering code classes as part of the popular local music and arts festival, Four Athens Executive Director Jim Flannery explains, “We believe coding is another creative outlet, much like the music and arts scenes that AthFest promotes. So holding these classes during the festival seemed like a logical extension.” He went on to note that, “among the classes happening during AthFest weekend are one on building webcomics and another on creating an electronic keyboard.”

Four Athens member and Fundraising Chair for AthFest Educates Sean Cook, of Cook Coaching and Consulting LLC, helped coordinate between the two organizations to incorporate youth code classes as part of the activities taking place in the community during the festival this summer. As an AthFest affiliated event, the classes are included in the official festival schedule and, based on participant numbers, part of the proceeds will be donated to Athfest Educates, the local nonprofit committed to sustaining and advancing music and arts education for young people in Athens-Clarke County through their two annual fundraisers, AthFest Music & Arts Festival and the AthHalf Marathon.

To register a child to take one of the code classes, click on the AthFest Weekend tab at www.fourathens.com/youthclasses. Coding languages covered by the four classes offered over the weekend include HTML/CSS, Python, Scratch, and JavaScript. Laptops are required for each student. All other materials are provided.

In addition to linking software and web development skills to the arts, by offering code classes during the popular annual festival, Four Athens seeks to continue broadening access to essential STEM education opportunities for area youth according to its mission, and in-line with Governor Nathan Deal’s Digital Learning Task Force recommendations for increased digital literacy for K-12 students across the state.