Learn how to Program online?

Earlier this year, we built Dash, an interactive, online learn-to-code program as an onboarding tool for our Web Development Immersive students. At the time, there were a lot of existing products, but we wanted something interactive and engaging, in a real world, project-based format that would prepare students who hadn’t programmed before to dive in. So we decided to build it ourselves.

So today, I’m so happy to announce that we’re making Dash available to the public, at no cost.

That’s right, anyone with an Internet connection can learn how to build websites with HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

We’re really excited about Dash because it’s a fun and interactive way to learn how to code and it’s appealing to a broad audience, because it was developed specifically for beginners with no prior coding experience. Through a series of interactive projects based on real-world storylines, users will learn how to build personal websites, blog themes, small business websites, and even CSS robots – all on their own time.

If you’ve tried to learn to code before but hit a wall, Dash was made for you. Nobody likes tutorials that drag on forever. We keep Dash projects short and punchy. Each project is based on a storyline, and allows users to build real website for fictional clients. As you type code in the Dash text editor, we constantly check in the background for common mistakes and correct you if you make one. And you can take those websites and publish them to the Internet.

At General Assembly, we’re turning thinkers into creators. Making Dash available to the general public is part of our larger efforts to broaden our online content and provide our students with additional resources to build upon the skills they’re learning in our classrooms. It’s also a great opportunity for us to reach people who aren’t within range of one of our nine campuses around the world.

• The Real World