A woman with a headset surrounded by instruments

MIX BEATS. LEARN CODE. UNLOCK CREATIVITY.

Build your students’ confidence and computer science skills with our free program.

THIS COURSE IS FREE!

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BEATS UNLOCKED IS A FREE FACEBOOK INITIATIVE THAT BRINGS BEAT-MAKING AND CODING TO LIFE.

Young girl with headphones, composing beats with piano and BU course

Students participating in a virtual Beats Unlocked workshop on Zoom

OUR VIRTUAL WORKSHOP UNLOCKS STEAM OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.

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THE WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE

Students create musical beats using block-based coding in javascript and ultimately participate in a beats cypher where they showcase their work. Through this experience, BU provides an outlet for creative expression while building confidence and computer science skills.

KEY WORKSHOP ELEMENTS

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Format

Virtual & In-Person

GRADE LEVEL

Middle & High School

COMPONENTS

Music Education
& Basic Coding

LENGTH

Flexible Workshop Options

COURSE BREAKDOWN

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Block-based Coding

Students learn how to use block-based coding in javascript to build beats. They also have the ability to see their code live using our html feature.

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Beat Production

Students compose custom beats using an array of tools such as our beat remixer, music library, visualizer, and more!

Student looking at laptop with BU certificate of completion on the screen

Showcase & Recognition

Students participate in a beat showcase where they celebrate their beats and have the chance to win prizes. Students also have the option to share on social media.

WORKSHOP BENEFITS

access free steam programming

Our program is 100% free for you and your students and unlocks additional resources through our partnership with CodeHS.

Explore CodeHS Courses & Resources

Upon completing the workshop, students and teachers will have access to 30+ free CodeHS courses, like Web Design and Intro to Javascript, and a suite of teacher tools.

produce & share unique beats

Students have the opportunity to create their own custom beats and share online with their friends and family.

A diverse young high school girl holding a Beats Unlocked certificate of completion

BEAT MVP CONTEST

Every student who creates a beat has the opportunity to enter it into a Facebook contest where they can win prizes and earn the title of Beat MVP. More information on how to enter the contest can be found in your facilitator and student guides.

See contest terms and conditions here.

READY TO GET STARTED?

This course is free!

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

We are proud to partner with CodeHS to bring our workshop experience to life. CodeHS is an industry leading coding education platform and has over a million users across the world. They provide customizable web-based computer science curricula, a suite of tools and professional development for educators.

A video GIF showing the different visualizations within the Beats Unlocked platform

HOW TO GET STARTED

Sign Up

Fill out the registration form to sign up for our program.

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Check email

Once you register, you will receive an email from CodeHS with instructions on how to get started.

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Activate Account

Activate your CodeHS account and set your password.

Try it for yourself

Explore our sample beat-making experience inside the CodeHS platform by interacting with our sandbox version here!

Live demo

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

WHO CAN BECOME A FACILITATOR?

We welcome in-classroom and afterschool educators from computer science and music backgrounds to facilitate our workshop. Review our checklist for our full requirements.

FACILITATOR CHECKLIST

You are 18+ years old
You have a group of students ages 13+
You have access to wifi and a laptop/computer
You believe that every student should have an equal opportunity to build their future

FACILITATOR RESOURCES

Student & Facilitator Guides
Instructional Videos
Beat Rubric
Access to CodeHS Courses and Teacher Resources
CodeHS Customer Support Team and FB Group
Post Workshop Student Resources

SIGN UP tODAY!

Testimonials

“What stood out to me is the fact that the instructors were kind, engaging, and motivating. The instructors were also artists themselves that could relate to the needs of our students.”
– andre robinson, music educator at westside high school

“Our experience with Beats Unlocked’s trajectory was different than any other experience Native Girls Code had. Having a group of musically talented young femmes sparked a whole different excitement and love for coding!”
– Yireidi valencia-martinez, native girls code program coordinator

“This workshop not only allowed students to learn fundamental concepts of computer science in an engaging way but also introduced the students to people who look like them within the tech industry. That level of exposure will have an everlasting impression on the students.”
– ernest holmes, co-founder of codehouse

“Our students enjoyed learning how to program music using the Beats Unlocked curriculum. The ease of the program and excitement of them sharing their creations pulls them back into the platform.”
– shaina glass, program director at aldine ISD

Our partners

We are honored to work alongside our partners to reach communities and learners across the country. Here is a snapshot of the champions that make our mission possible.