Philosophy major Carlton Nivens participates in the Mellon Pathways to VCU program. In the Pathways newsletter, he wrote about his experience teaching computer science to teens:

During the summer, I had the privilege of working through CodeVA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching computer science in Richmond and the surrounding counties. The Virginia Tribal Education Consortium partnered with us for this program, which involved a week of instructing high school students on data science practices and assisting them in creating projects that reflected their interests and the skills they had acquired. 

As the primary instructor, my responsibility was to present the material, but I also had the flexibility to tailor it to the students' needs. The ability to make these adjustments is what makes working with CodeVA particularly special to me. Having the freedom to deviate from the standard curriculum to make potentially tedious material more engaging and relevant to the students' needs is invaluable in fostering a productive student-teacher dynamic. Sadly, this aspect often seems overlooked in public education, where the focus tends to be on grades rather than students' individual growth. Fortunately, in this program, as well as in all the other classes I've taught with CodeVA, the core focus has always been the students' well-being and interests. 

The final project culminated in a podcast episode showcasing the students' passion for their community. This experience filled me with immense pride for the dedication and hard work these students put into the camp. Being part of their journey added significant meaning to my time with Pathways and at VCU, because it allowed me to see how the work I have put in can benefit others, and help.