Technology

Introduction to Coding with Python

Meets Mondays · 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM · on Zoom Fall 2026 · registration open Free to audit

This class runs in the Fall 2026 session. Registration is open now; lessons, materials, and the class discussion board are posted before it begins.

Okay so here's the thing: coding is not magic and it's not math, it's mostly stubbornness and reading error messages carefully. This class is for adults who are curious what coding actually looks like on a normal day, with zero experience needed. We use free tools, no paid software, because paying for beginner coding stuff is a rip-off and I'll prove it. You'll type your own first programs (no copy-paste, your fingers learn something your eyes don't), and we'll cover variables, loops, and basic logic. We work hands-on, everyone types, mistakes are the interesting part. By the end you'll have written a few small programs that actually run and do something useful. So.

What you'll learn

Install Python and a free code editor
Write programs that take user input
Use variables, math, and if/else logic
Build loops to repeat tasks automatically
Read error messages and fix broken code

Lessons

Getting Set Up Without Spending a Dime
We install free tools, get comfortable with the screen, and run something that actually works on night one.
Variables: Boxes You Put Stuff In
We learn to store things and name them, plus how a bad name breaks everything downstream.
Talking to the Program
We get input from a person, print it back, and use print statements to see what's happening inside.
Basic Logic: If This, Then That
We teach the program to make decisions and stop treating every situation the same.
Loops: Making the Computer Do the Boring Part
We repeat work automatically, which is the whole reason most of us start coding.
Putting It Together and Not Losing Your Mind
We break a real problem into stupid-small steps, read error messages on purpose, and finish something we can keep.

Class discussion

The class discussion board opens when the class begins this fall. Auditors and enrolled students ask questions and share work here once the session starts.