GearMinds STEM Academy

Thursday 6 - 7:30 PM CST

Building Foundations for AP Computer Science A

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of Java through a series of incremental challenges. Students will learn core syntax and object-oriented concepts and develop a problem-solving discipline using the mandated pseudocode-first methodology.

Key Differentiators:

AP Computer Science A Alignment: Directly aligns with 90% of the College Board’s AP Computer Science A curriculum.
University-Level Pedagogy: Focuses on algorithmic thinking and defensive programming practices.
STEM Portfolio Development: Create publishable GitHub projects that meet college application standards.
Accountability and Transparency: Includes bi-weekly mastery checks and a final project presentation.

Course Structure:

Weeks 1 - 6: Java Foundations
Weeks 7 - 12: Object-Oriented Programming
Weeks 13 - 15: Recursion and searching algorithms
Weeks 16 - 18: Capstone project and demo to parents

Course Goals:

• Core Java Mastery, including syntax and structure, object-oriented principles, and debugging skills
• AP Computer Science A Prep through college Board-style problem practices
• Real-world applications and data challenges
• Soft skills for STEM through pair programming and presenting code