We Can Code IT

Like many others that enroll in this program, I came from a degree completely unrelated to computer science. The instructors at the boot camp do a great job of ramping you up to be able to develop functional programs. I came in with no experience in development, and I left with the confidence that I would be able to contribute effectively in the Cleveland IT workforce.

The only downside to this program is that there is not a comprehensive SQL curriculum. Many companies look for SQL database design and SQL query knowledge. There is a way to teach yourself the basics that the program providies, but I believe that SQL should be taught by the instructors as well. 

If you are disabled or a minority or part of an underserved population do not I repeat attend this class. I am a disabled veteran and humiliated by an instructor and when I complained I was expelled from the program.  I was also told by the President of the school that because I received public funding I was not their customer "Ohio Means Jobs is our customer" 

That was entirely out of line. Ohio Means Jobs told me that I should be afforded the same respect and dignity as someone who paid using their own funds

I was expelled and given no due process. If they are willing to treat a disabled veteran ( The President of the School also commented ..."My husband is a veteran..so what)  

I have filed over a dozen complaints regarding this matter and will provide copies of emails and all documentation to any prospective student. I'm a former investigative reporter in Cleveland and worked for a major tv news station here and I have requested volumes of public records regarding this program and will also share that info. Please keep in mind at the time I was expelled I had a GRADE AVERAGE OF 99 PERCENT. Black students especially contact me before going anywhere near this place. RichardJones5@me.com

I've always had a love for technology, but had very little exposure to coding, or people working in the development field growing up. In We Can Code IT, I found the perfect catalyst to dive right in, instead of just dabbling in my free time.

The success of the program in measured in no small part by the success of it’s students. So, you can rest assured that WCCI is invested in you learning the skills necessary to find a high quality job in the IT field.

I would not hesitate to recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn programming, and who doesn’t shy away from a challenge. 

I moved to Ohio to attend We Can Code It during the Fall of 2016 and it was definitely worth it! Anybody could enroll into this boot-camp, regardless if you don’t have any experience with programming. They do offer grants for some students if they fit the requirement which is helpful to some. My friend recommended me to go to a coding boot-camp because it was an alternative route of going to college, she was totally right about that! Depending on which campus you attend, Cleveland or Columbus, the campus will teach you the fundamentals of C# and .Net (Cleveland) or Java(Columbus). The instructors were kind and helpful to me and to the other students as well. We learned about what essentials of being a full-stack developer like C#, .Net, HTML, CSS, jQuery, SQL, and many more. It was definitely a fast pace learning environment which may be tough for some but as long as practice, study, and keep up with the lectures, you’ll be fine. Anybody that has the interested with technology and wants to change their life, I would definitely recommend We Can Code It

I joined the 2016 accelerated 3 month program June of 2016 after my father told me about it. I had been trying to teach myself to code hoping to change careers. We Can Code IT took me from hoping to doing! Despite utilizing a number of resources my transition was very slow on my own, but the program provided the structure, guidance and expert staff to make my transition a reality. Many people have asked what's the biggest difference between teaching myself and joining the camp. My answer is, before I was hoping to become a software engineer and now I am one! Any one can learn to code but without the expert guidance and support of We Can Code IT I'd likely still be randomly taking different online courses with no clear path to employment. Instead, the guidance of the WCCI staff and the support of my cohort-mates I am starting a new career as a software engineer for JP Morgan Chase! If you are truly committed to becoming a software developer, and putting in the work to better yourself and your career prospects, I highly recommend We Can Code IT. Their expert staff, curriculum and ever-expanding relationship with employers are invaluable and can give you the training, support, and credibility you need to change your entire life trajectory!

Today was my graduation day and I can comfortably say that this course was not perfect but it was well worth it.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know 16 other talented individuals over the past 12 weeks. We learned a full stack from HTML and CSS to C# and .NET. This course is what you make it and is a direct reflection of your effort. The instructors are incredibly supportive and accomodating.

Yes, the instructors did change but not due to turnover but rather because a co-worker of theirs went on paternity leave. I think it is important to understand that while I thrive on consistency myself life does happen whether it is convenient or not for others. 

Consider it and then sign up!

This is a really good program. In the bootcamp you go through and learn full-stack development in the .NET framework. Specifically it's building web applications through an ASP.NET MVC framework. It's fun but also very technical. There are times where you may think that it isn't for you and there are times when you feel so thrilled that your code compiled correctly after an eternity of errors. It'll come to be the norm in your new career.

Pros:
Amazing network of classmates who are all on pretty much the same level as you. There is a great incentive to work together and you develop a good network for after you finish your program of lots of people will soon be in the IT field as well.

Supportive instructors. The people who are teaching you are definitely there for you and want you to understand the material. They really have a passion to see you under programming.

Popular languages. Go type in C# or Java on a search board. Those jobs are in demand right now. And you learn the front-end aspect as well. Knowing both looks very good on paper and better when you can prove it.

Bonus learning materials. This is toward the end of class but you are certainly encouraged to learn more and the instructors point you in directions you might want to go in depending on what liked the most.

Help with job placement. While no place can 100% guarantee you a job, they do their best. Custom resume write-ups, interview coaching, LinkedIn skills, smart job searching. You get soft skills to help you outside the class along with your new coding skills.

Cons:

Time Constraint. This is quite a large amount of material that you go through during a short duration. Be prepared to be stressed because it will happen. 

Imposter Syndrome. There will be times during and after the class when you feel like you haven't learned enough. To be frank, get over that. You can't let that get in the way of something you enjoy doing.

No hand holding. There will be a lot that will not be covered during of the class concerning .NET and C# as well as the front-end stuff. This is a lifelong commitment to learning and you are going to have to be the initiator in your learning. The instructors are wonderful and will teach you a lot but you are going to have to learn to teach yourself as well. There were plenty of times in the class where students were encouraged to make presentations about what they taught themselves on their own time and during projects, it will be mostly your fellow classmates that you communicate with.

The learning curve. You're first language is going to have a steep curve and there are going to be a lot of things that seem obnoxious. But believe me when I say that every language you go and learn by yourself after that is a breeze in comparison. 

Overall, I think it's a great class. Don't let the rigor scare you off. It's totally doable and very rewarding and even fun!

I enrolled in a .net full-time coding bootcamp to update my computer programming skills.The instruction was engaging and gave me confidence in my ability to use C# and SQL, HTML/CSS, javascript, .net MVC, Object Oriented Programming, Agile and GitHub. The homework and weekend projects reinforced the instruction with relavent projects. Because of this instruction and the good reputation of this organization, I was able to get a great job one month after I graduated. I thoroughly enjoyed the 12 weeks and I would recommend this program to anyone who wants instruction in the latest coding languages and methodologies in a short timeframe.
 

We Can Code IT was a great experience. I moved all the way from Maryland to Cleveland to attend the bootcamp that I felt was the best fit for me. 

My classmates became kind of like a family, as WCCI encourages an environment of collaborative learning, as opposed to competition. The instructors are all top quality. They are highly knowledegable, and also highly emotionally intelligent; a rare combination to find. Because of these attributes, the instructors were able to not only teach, help troubleshoot, and to answer our questions, but also to deal with the rollercoasters of emotions that the students may have been going through, considering that the bootcamp could be stressful at times.

What I took away from WCCI was a great sense of confidence. The confidence that I could really be a programmer/developer, and that I could take the skills that I learned at WCCI to the job market and earn a good living. 

I landed a job about a week after graduation, after weeks and weeks of applying relentlessly to jobs online, and speaking with companies and recruiters. WCCI provided a great deal of job assistance (including representatives from companies coming to speak to us, and a career day at graduation) and career advice. I ended up finding a job outside of Ohio, but I still feel that I benefited from the career guidance/assistance. 

I am grateful for the WCCI experience, and I wish the best to all of the summer 2016 cohort, and to whoever is reading this right now! 

I decided to attend We Can Code IT after carefully reviewing, applying, interviewing and visiting a few bootcamps in the Cleveland area. From the moment I talked to their staff and visited their facility I knew it was the right choice for me.

Cleveland, like every other major city in the US is experiencing a revival and comeback of its downtown so I really enjoyed going to class every day.

Their staff has three qualities (among many others) that were very important to me: They are extremely knowledgeable. They are very good at teaching what they know to students with different kinds of backgrounds and experience. They care about their students’ future and quality of life. Plus they make an effort to support diversity in tech by offering scholarships to minorities, women and households earning under $47,500/year.

They did an amazing job at preparing me for a job in tech. Everything I learned was exactly what was listed as “required skills” for every job I applied. Their career services were very helpful. Their staff assisted students with everything from reviewing resumes and cover letters, to practice interviews and personally taking the time to talk to potential employers about their students. The last three weeks were especially exciting. I not only made a web app with my group to present to employers on career day but I interviewed with a few companies and accepted an offer from Progressive as an Applications Programmer before I even graduated, earning a great salary and great benefits. Quitting my job and attending We Can Code It completely changed my life. In fact, I wish I did it sooner. I strongly recommend We Can Code IT to anyone who is looking for a new career as a Software Developer.

I made the decision to attend We Can Code IT during a pivotal period of my life. I was disillusioned from the college experience after not finishing my bachelor's degree in civil engineering. I was working two food service jobs to stay afloat. Then, I took a chance on We Can Code IT. We learned C#, .NET, JavaScript, SQL, HTML/ CSS, and MVC in a hands-on classroom. I am still in awe of how much Mel cares about each student. It still makes me so happy to think about the classroom. I loved learning from Mel and Lauren in particular. They really invested a lot of effort into making sure than no student was left behind. Also, all of my classmates were amazing. Three months after graduating, I still talk to people. And it was so helpful to rely on my classmates for support during the treacherous job hunt. But my education from We Can Code IT really worked. I accepted a position as a programmer a little over 2 months after graduating. I whole heatedly endorse We Can Code IT. It seriously changed my life for the better. The only negative that I want to comment on is that for my cohort the curriculum changed a lot based on how we were responding to the material. If you're someone who can't handle ambiguity, this may not be for you. 

I graduated with the full-time Spring 2016 cohort. We Can Code It was one of the best experiences of my life and I miss it. I am currently looking for a job; I am confident that I will land one soon. There are not many careers left where a person can think that. 

WCCI is remarkable. They are dedicated to improving their curriculum and methodologies. While the instructors rip through material, they maintain a very clear feedback loop with the class. They work extremely hard to make sure that the students have every opportunity to master the material. As a result, there are no gentlemen's C's; you have to earn the grade. 

I felt that the only time the program felt a bit loose was when we started working on HTML/CSS. Based on feedback from previous cohorts they were trying a more project-oriented approach. It was a bit too freeform, in my opinion. When we plunged into javascript and jquery things tightened back up, though. 

I unreservedly recommend WCCI.

I was a member of the June 2016 graduating class of We Can {Code} IT, located in the sprawling StartMart space in Tower City in downtown Cleveland.  

After having worked in "Big Data" research and strategy for several years, I enrolled to learn more about the "small data" which underpins the technologies powering contemporary machine languages - enabling queries and pattern recognition on large data sets.

By the end of the intensive We Can {Code} IT boot-camp, I had a solid foundation in C#, .NET, HTML, CSS, SQL, MVC, BootStrap, GitHub, Responsive Design, and some jQuery and JavaScript.  I found the leadership to be passionate about helping our class understand the course content, and preparing our cohort for success in various new roles within software development continuum.

I quit a secure full-time job of 18 years in order to go to We Can Code It. I immediately came out with a job better than the one I quit to go to school. I am not saying my "results are typical" but this is a school that REALLY cares about its students. Teachers were available online to help on evenings and weekends, and they would help one on one if you need it, in extra sessions, they really want to see the students succeed. Mel McGee is the one whose vision is really felt all through the school. She is a tireless and enthusiastic powerhouse always encouraging, but never giving you fluff. You have to work to make it through this course, and the teachers won't let you slack off. I highly recommend this. The only reason I gave the curriculum 4 stars is that we didn't really use all the books I purchased. But that's just a tiny quibble. The curriculum is always changing to meet with the needs and wants of local employers - isn't that a fantastic and proactive way to do it? Please talk to the instructors and learn more if you are interested in WCCI. It's a great place, and I have made some fantastic contacts and friendships there - and a new career.

On my way home from the first day of my bootcamp at We Can Code IT, I marveled at how much I liked everyone. I've been a student all my life, and while I have always been enthusiastic about learning, I never LIKED school and I had never been in a class where I liked all my classmates. I immediately noticed that the atmosphere at We Can Code IT was different from what I was used to; instead of an atmosphere of competition I found one of collaboration. There were about twelve students in my cohort, and while we came from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, we had a common goal that put us all in the same position: at the beginning of a long path towards what seemed like a near-impossible destination. That goal was to go from complete novices at computer programming to junior developers, in six months. The support we received from both the instructors and our fellow students enabled us to achieve this goal. One of the wonderful things about learning in such a supportive environment (and in-person) is that when you feel discouraged (that, “maybe you’re just not cut out for this”) instead of quitting you go to your classmates or your instructors and get the encouragement and information you need to stay the course. One of the many strengths of WCCI is that it helps break stereotypes that discourage women and minorities from pursuing IT careers by demonstrating that we really CAN be successful in this field, despite not being encouraged in that direction early on. I whole-heartedly recommend We Can Code IT to anyone looking to participate in a coding bootcamp.

Being a recent graduate from the We can Code It Boot Camp my experience with the camp was very motivating and positive.  Ther insrtuctional staff, and support staff were always available to help you along throughout the camp.

The environment where we attended boot camp is very comfortable, with access to the StartSMart to study at any time.

With my educational experience this program is well worth it. It's educational infrastructure is based on your commitment an completion of the program. WCCI also assist with employment when you are coming close to graduation. change. 

WCCI is commited to the success of every single student. I would recommend WCCI to any one who is looking to enhance there career or make a change.