When I was headed into my junior year in high school, I decided I would become a journalist. Journalism is a noble trade to be sure — don’t laugh — but after almost two decades in the biz, I sometimes wish I had more skills than writing a quippy article. I wish I had more coding skills. You can help your kids avoid my fate by registering them for the Coder Dojo Classic, a program for ages 7 to 17, from 3 to 4 p.m. July 12 at the Hope branch of the Bartholomew County Public Library, 635 Harrison St. in Hope, and 4 to 5 p.m. July 19 at the Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St. in Columbus. At the Coder Dojo, kids will learn how to create stories, games and animations using Scratch in an informal and creative environment. Scratch is a programming language created by MIT. Information and registration: (812) 379-1266, mybcpl.org.
Over the course of the past two years, I’ve become more aware of just how much stuff I’ve got. This trait of accumulating things runs in the family, but I’d love to be the Elig that conquers it. Maybe I’ll learn something at the Bartholomew County Public Library presentation “Becoming Minimalist: Invigorate Your Life; the Best Things in Life Aren’t Things,” 6:30 p.m. July 18. The program will feature a Skype presentation with minimalist Joshua Beck, the founder of becomingminimalist.com. Information: mybcpl.org.
