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After spending years learning about computer science, Sanjana Gowda, Vaidehi Akbari and Shely Jain wanted to help younger students find an earlier and more accessible path into technology.
The three rising seniors at Emerald High School in Dublin founded Silicon Valley Scholars, also known as SVS, in the summer of 2025 after attending NVIDIA’s GTC technology conference in Santa Clara earlier that year. At the conference, they noticed a lack of young people and women represented in professional technology spaces, sparking the idea for a student-run coding education organization.
“We wanted to help inspire the next generation and make technology more accessible to everyone,” Akbari said.
Silicon Valley Scholars’ mission is to make coding accessible, creative and community-driven. Through bootcamps, mentorship and project-based learning, the organization provides a beginner-friendly environment that helps younger students explore the field.
SVS primarily teaches students in grades K-8, though the organization has worked with students ranging from first grade to rising ninth-graders. They have held classes in introductory and advanced Python, web development with HTML, CSS and JavaScript, introductory machine learning, game development and preparation for AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A.
The bootcamps are typically three weeks long, with two one-hour classes per week. During each class, students learn concepts through analogies, interactive activities and group discussions while building their own projects.
The bootcamps culminate in a final showcase session where students present their projects. Office hour sessions are also offered after each class for students seeking additional support.
“We like to always leave the floor open to questions and generally make every class feel more like a conversation where students can openly ask questions and work together,” Gowda said.
Because students enter the program with different experience levels, help is always available to those who need extra support and there are also opportunities to be challenged for students who want to move ahead.
One of the biggest challenges for the organization has been adapting to teach students who learn at different speeds.
“Founding SVS has taught us that every student learns differently,” Akbari said. “Some are visual learners, while others learn best through listening or hands-on activities.”
The founders said running the organization has also helped them become stronger leaders and better communicators. The three of them divide responsibilities through to-do lists, Google Sheets and rotating tasks, including creating presentations, communicating with families, managing social media, updating the website and organizing events.
Outreach was another early challenge. Akbari said it was initially difficult to spread the word about their programs, but the group has since used social media, community partnerships, Nextdoor, WhatsApp and in-person advertising to reach more people.
During the school year, SVS collaborated with the Fallon Engineering Club to teach in-person Python classes at Fallon Middle School. The founders credited their computer science teacher, Miguel Baez, as a mentor who helped them organize events and find resources.
This summer, SVS offered “Intro to Python” and “Intro to Web Development” classes. The organization is also launching a paid Passion Project Bootcamp this Sunday (July 26), which will run through Sept. 13 and continue into the school year. Unlike its previous free bootcamps, the program will provide personalized mentorship to help students build scalable, real-world projects.
As SVS continues to grow, the founders hope to expand their student community, host more free events and workshops and create more opportunities for young people to explore STEM.
“We truly believe it is so important to let kids be curious and discover their own path while having people they can look up to and rely on,” Gowda said.
More information about upcoming Silicon Valley Scholars programs is available at svscholars.org.
