I am a self taught programmer. I grew up in Alabama where the opportunity to learn about computers was not readily available. After I completed Hacker School I began hosting hack days and user groups in my community to share the opportunity I had been given. Through these experiences I learned how to teach and how to support those who want to learn. In particular, I found that learning JavaScript is an excellent first step to help students fall in love with programming.
In this talk I'll share what I've learned with you. We'll cover common barriers to entry, how to mitigate them, and I'll show you the kinds of projects encourage new programmers to stick with it.
