Curriculum

Learn through collaboration—mentor-led sessions, async work, and real projects with feedback tailored to your goals. Let’s launch you to the next level.

Curriculum

Mentor-led. Project-based. Remote. You learn by shipping real features with a product team. This page explains exactly how our curriculum works and what you’ll learn.

At a Glance

  • Format: Remote, mentor-led, project-based

  • Cadence: 4-week sprints (plan → build → review → retro)

  • Sessions: Two 1-hour live collaboration sessions weekly (Central Time), plus async work

  • Time: ~5–10 hours/week minimum

  • Teams: Cross-functional product teams (Design, Development, Research, Product Management)

  • Tools: Figma, GitHub, React/TypeScript, Storybook, GitBook, Discord, Google Workspace, Strapi

  • Cost: Tuition $0 (nonprofit) → see Admissions & Tuition

How the Program Works

Weekly Rhythm

  • Design Collaboration (1 hr): progress review, technique demos (e.g., prototyping, design systems, accessibility), critique, next steps tailored to goals.

  • Cross-Department Collaboration (1 hr): Design × Research × Product × Dev working session (flows, wireframes, prototypes, implementation reviews).

  • Async Work (3–8 hrs): issues in GitHub, branch/PR workflow, check-ins on Discord, optional pairing and office hours.

Sprint Cycle (4 Weeks)

  1. Plan: scope goals, estimate issues, set acceptance criteria and dependencies.

  2. Build: execute assignments, mid-sprint check-ins, research as needed.

  3. Review: demos, QA, research readouts; align design ↔ dev; merge/ship.

  4. Retro: FigJam retrospective; action items feed the next sprint plan.

Definition of Done: acceptance criteria met, accessibility checks completed, review approved (design/PR), light documentation added.

Learning Pathways

You’ll join a Department (Design, Development, Research, or Product Management) and a Product Team (e.g., IdeaSpace, Dev Recruit, Universal Design, AI Ally, User Profile & Community). Assignments match your goals, your role, and your team’s stage (discovery → iteration → finalization).

Design

You will learn to:

  • Work with design systems (tokens/variables, components, library governance)

  • Produce flows, wireframes, and hi-fi prototypes in Figma

  • Apply accessibility standards (WCAG-minded patterns, contrast, focus)

  • Deliver developer-ready specs (Dev Mode, annotations, behaviors)

Skill progression:

  • Beginner: interface basics; styles; components; critiques

  • Intermediate: auto layout; variants; tokens/variables; accessibility checks

  • Advanced: multi-page systems; complex prototyping; component governance; handoff at scale

Typical artifacts: component sets in Figma, interaction prototypes, system tokens, acceptance-criteria-aligned specs.

Development

You will learn to:

  • Ship features in React + TypeScript with accessible, performant UI

  • Use GitHub effectively (issues, branches, reviews, CI)

  • Build and document components in Storybook

  • Collaborate with designers and researchers; implement from Figma Dev Mode

Skill progression:

  • Beginner: repo hygiene; PR basics; JSX/TS fundamentals

  • Intermediate: state management; testing; accessibility (ARIA, focus)

  • Advanced: component architecture; performance; CI workflows; Storybook docs

Typical artifacts: merged PRs, Storybook stories, test coverage, issue → PR traceability.

Research

You will learn to:

  • Plan and run studies (interviews, surveys, usability tests, heuristic reviews)

  • Analyze and synthesize findings (coding, affinity mapping, triangulation)

  • Produce decision-ready readouts with prioritized recommendations

  • Operationalize research (recruiting, consent, data handling, templates)

Skill progression:

  • Beginner: method selection; scripts; notetaking; light analysis

  • Intermediate: mixed-methods planning; synthesis; readout storytelling

  • Advanced: research ops; metrics; influencing roadmaps; workshop facilitation

Typical artifacts: study plans, highlight reels/notes, insight → recommendation readouts tied to backlog items.

Product Management

You will learn to:

  • Translate goals into roadmaps and prioritized backlogs

  • Write clear user stories and acceptance criteria

  • Run agile ceremonies (planning, estimation, reviews, retros)

  • Track KPI/OKR progress and manage cross-team dependencies

Skill progression:

  • Beginner: story writing; backlog hygiene; sprint cadence

  • Intermediate: estimation; risk/issue tracking; metrics literacy

  • Advanced: roadmap strategy; cross-functional alignment; delivery forecasting

Typical artifacts: roadmaps, prioritized backlogs, KPI dashboards, sprint reports.

Assessment & Feedback

  • SMART Goals: set at onboarding with your mentor; reviewed quarterly.

  • In-sprint Feedback: critiques, PR reviews, and readouts provide continuous guidance.

  • Checkpoints: mentors track progress toward outcomes and adjust assignments.

  • Participation: target ≥ 80% attendance for required live/async touchpoints to stay on a team.

Evidence of progress = shipped code/design/research + documented impact (e.g., PR merged, component published, research adopted, KPI moved).

Tools & Platforms (used in instruction)

  • Figma & FigJam: design systems, prototypes, critiques, retros.

  • GitHub (Issues, Projects, PRs, Actions): task tracking, code reviews, CI.

  • React & TypeScript: front-end implementation.

  • Storybook: component documentation and accessibility checks.

  • GitBook: public docs and curriculum.

  • Discord: daily communication and async check-ins.

  • Google Workspace: planning docs, sheets, slides.

  • Strapi: headless CMS for content-driven features.

Outcomes (What You Leave With)

  • Portfolio-ready artifacts that reflect real collaboration

  • Demonstrated proficiency in industry tools and workflows

  • Experience working in cross-functional teams and agile sprints

  • A mentor’s verification of participation/contributions upon request

Time & Expectations

  • Time: ~5–10 hours/week (2 live, 3–8 async)

  • Timezone: Central Time (CT) for live sessions; recordings/notes shared when possible

  • Conduct: collaborative, inclusive, supportive learning environment

Start Here

  • Admissions & Tuition (Tuition: $0): /join/admissions

  • Meet the Mentors: /join/mentors

  • Open Opportunities (Apply): /join/opportunities

Have questions? Contact Us

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