Why Coding Isn't Just For Programmers: Everyone Can Create!

Coding is increasingly recognized as a fundamental 21st-century skill for people in all walks of life. This paper examines how a student-led coding workshop – delivered by a 16-year-old high school student using beginner-friendly, AI-assisted low-code tools – can improve attitudes towards programming among three non-programmer groups: teachers, adult community members, and high-school peers. We hypothesize that exposure to a creative, accessible, and enjoyable coding experience will boost participants’ (a) digital self-efficacy, (b) creative self-confidence, and (c) openness to integrating programming in their own practice. The methodology encompasses a first-stage exploratory workshop with 20 adult and student community members (divided into interest-based project groups, plus a control group), followed by a planned second-stage intervention with teachers using pre/post surveys and open-ended feedback. Results from the community pilot indicate notable gains in participants’ confidence and attitudes: post-workshop survey scores improved significantly over pre-workshop levels across all three constructs, with participants reporting greater confidence in using digital tools, enhanced creative agency, and increased intent to apply coding in personal or professional contexts. Qualitative feedback reinforced these findings, as participants described the workshop as “eye-opening,” “fun,” and far more accessible than expected. While results from the upcoming teacher sessions are not yet available, this paper provides a framework and initial evidence suggesting that a brief, interest-driven coding intervention – even one led by a youth mentor – can demystify programming and empower non-programmers to see themselves as creators with technology. We discuss implications for education, including how such peer-led approaches and AI-assisted tools might be scaled to foster a more inclusive, creative coding culture among educators, students, and communities.