The League of Amazing Programmers holds 2022 Summer Brunch & Celebration

The League of Amazing Programmers held a 2022 Summer Brunch & Celebration July 3 to celebrate student graduations, and honor the achievements of select League students and staff members. The event was held in the courtyard of the League’s main location on High Bluff Drive in Carmel Valley.

The League of Amazing Programmers, a nonprofit institution, was founded in 2006 with a grant from Vic and Diane Wintriss with the idea that middle and high school students could learn professional-level Java computer programming. Reaching underserved communities has also been a priority with a goal of 50% scholarship students who attend free of charge. Sarah Cooper, the League’s executive director, has helped grow the nonprofit to over 400 students attending weekly, after-school classes. The ten-level, UCSD Extension certified course of instruction takes five years to complete for youth who start in the fifth grade. Students pass the Computer Science AP exam at curriculum level six.

The League is the only school in the country that offers graduates Oracle Professional Programming Certification. With Oracle certification, most companies will hire the League’s graduates as programmers without a complete science degree. So far 44 of the League’s graduates have successfully passed the Oracle exam. The League’s unique curriculum emphasizes gaming as a vehicle for learning Java, the most popular computer programming language -- the CS AP exam is given in Java.

Thirty-eight students graduated this year during the July 3 celebration. The celebration also included a birthday cake for founder Vic Wintriss, who just turned 91 years old. Wintriss also announced his retirement from the League’s board of directors and congratulated everyone for outstanding service to the community. Visit www.jointheleague.org for more information.

Photos by Jon Clark