At a classical, Christian, fine arts school, you might be surprised to find a group of computer programmers.

        Coding Club, which is organized and led by students, provides opportunities for students to learn fundamental programming principles. They develop games and explore career opportunities in STEM during weekly lunch meetings. Coding Club was founded this year by several junior girls who were taking a computer programming Independent Study with Mr. Seidel. When they realized how many other students expressed similar interests in coding, they organized a formal club.

While these students are primarily self-taught, they have taken advantage of resources such as nearby universities and a network of Cair Paravel alumni. Coding Club recently took a field trip to The University of Kansas’ School of Engineering to learn about potential opportunities after high school. If students want to pursue a degree in Computer Science, learning programming in high school gives them more experience than 70% of other freshmen.

The students also invited Caleb Fleming, who graduated from Cair Paravel in 2013 and is currently working in Cyber Security, to talk to the Coding Club about his experience in the technology industry. Caleb remarked that although Cair Paravel’s curriculum is humanities-driven, the focus on formal logic helped prepare him for a career in the STEM industry. Reasoning skills learned within classes such as Great Ideas benefit students within any field, whether it be medicine, teaching, or programming. Caleb credits much of his success in college and the workplace to the ability to learn well, as well as other skills acquired from a classical education. Cair Paravel’s education exposes students to a variety of fields and provides opportunities for them to engage with their interests in ways that set them up for future success.