This course offers students an exciting opportunity to explore the world of computer programming. Introducing students to the fundamentals of Python programming in an engaging, hands-on learning environment, it will provide a comprehensive foundation, progressing from basic concepts to the creation of fully functional Python programs and projects.

Students will explore key programming concepts, including variables, loops, conditional statements, and data structures. As the course advances, they will gain exposure to both functional programming and object-oriented programming (OOP) paradigms, and will learn how to design modular, reusable, and efficient code.

Class sessions will take place in the Bridge Academy computer lab, where students will actively code, experiment, and troubleshoot their programs. Through practical exercises, interactive projects, and collaborative challenges, students will develop the skills to create applications ranging from simple to complex.

This class is geared toward high-school students. Prior programming experience is helpful but not required. Students should, however, be willing to devote effort in class and through homework exercises to increase their competency in the Python language.

This class is similar in name to the Introduction to Computer Science class. The main difference is that this class will focus much more in-depth on learning Python and increasing programming skills while the computer science class is a general overview of CS concepts and an introduction to multiple programming languages.

**Topics Covered:**
- Python and programming basics
- Working with variables, data types, and expressions
- Control flow: loops and conditional statements
- Functions and modular programming
- Object-oriented programming (classes, objects, methods)
- Working with files and basic data storage
- Building and debugging Python projects