Curriculum
Four-Week Curriculum
You'll be building from day one. Each session opens with a short teaching block, then drops straight into a build, leading to the hackathon at the end.
Showing You What's Possible
The hardest part of week 1 is inertia. Our goal is to get you past the blank screen, not a polished app.
Teaching (~30 min)
- -Your instructors will show you what they've personally built with vibe coding — passion projects, education tools, fun apps — so you can see what's actually possible.
- -Here's what you can make in a month. We'll frame everything around outcomes, not topics.
- -Live demo: your instructor will crowdsource a project idea from the room and start building it on screen, right in front of you.
- -You'll walk through file structure and terminal basics: just enough to understand what an app actually is.
Build (~60 min)
- -You'll get a web app running locally before you leave. Doesn't have to be deployed. Just running on your machine.
- -Each breakout room has a dedicated instructor there for the full session to help you get unstuck.
- -Goal: you leave having watched something you directed actually run on your own screen.
BUILD SESSION #1
Your First Build
Make this website yours.
We'll give you a deliberately bad website. Your job: make it better, and make it yours.
- 1
Take the template
Everyone starts from the same rough site
- 2
Individualize it
Make it about you — your background, your interests, your experience
- 3
Practice the loop
Get comfortable prompting Claude in VS Code
Getting stuck is normal. Your instructor is here to help you!
Access the starter code on GitHubResources
Week 1 Slides
Slides from the Week 1 teaching session
Command Line for Beginners
Learn the basics of navigating your computer with the terminal
Understanding File Structure
How files and folders are organized in web projects
Next.js Getting Started
Official Next.js documentation — the framework we'll be using
Claude Code Documentation
Your AI coding assistant — learn what it can do
How a Real Project is Structured
Teaching (~30 min)
- -Your teacher will map out a sample project's components with you: front end, back end, database, and hosting.
- -You'll see how a developer breaks a project down: what decisions get made first, and in what order.
- -You'll learn how to feed Claude the right context, and you'll follow along on your own project.
- -We'll introduce GitHub and APIs in context, showing you when and why your project would need them.
Build (~60 min)
- -You'll keep building your week 1 project, now with a clearer mental model for how the pieces fit.
- -Your instructors will help you set up GitHub and structure your project folder.
- -Instructors float between breakout rooms to give you one-on-one support.
Resources
Week 2 Slides
Slides from the Week 2 teaching session
How the Web Works
Understanding what happens when you visit a website
GitHub Hello World
Your first GitHub repository — step by step
What is an API?
A beginner-friendly explanation of APIs and how they work
Git Explained in 100 Seconds
Quick overview of version control with Git
Sample Project: Weather Plan
A sample project built during the course — explore the code and structure
Backend, Hosting, and Going Beyond Your Laptop
Teaching (~30 min)
- -Supabase for backend and database: you'll learn what a database actually does, why your app needs one, and how to set up your first table without writing SQL.
- -Vercel for hosting: you'll see what it means to "deploy," how Vercel connects to GitHub, and how to get your project onto a real URL.
- -Working with APIs: you'll learn how to find them, how to read documentation, and how to feed Claude the right context to use them in your project.
Build (~60 min)
- -If you're ready: you'll connect a database, deploy live, and share the link with the room.
- -Still building locally? Keep going. Deployment is optional, not mandatory.
- -One teacher per breakout room, available for the full session to help you.
Tools, Polish, and Your Final Build
Teaching (~30 min)
- -The Claude toolkit (when to reach for each): Claude Code in the CLI for power, in VS Code for tight loops, in Cursor for IDE-native flow.
- -Making things look good: Claude Design, basic visual polish, and how to direct Claude on aesthetics.
- -Hackathon logistics: submission format, judging criteria, and what makes your project compelling to demo.
Build (~60 min)
- -Build session with your teachers.
- -You'll finalize your project, polish the rough edges, and prep your hackathon submission.