MAD-learn (MAD stands for Mobile Application Development) is a curriculum program targeted at upper-level elementary, middle and high school students who are interested in learning about the fundamentals of mobile app design and development. Combining traditional classroom methods with interactive online learning modules, MAD-Learn is designed with a progressive framework that has something to offer for students of all skill levels.

Unlike other online “learn to code” platforms, MAD-Learn utilizes a top-down teaching approach that walks students through the steps of building an app using a visual editor and then shows what happens “under the hood” in more detail as the student advances. Using this structure, the creators of MAD-Learn hope to capture students’ interest and enthusiasm early on by “coding to learn” and building confidence, entrepreneurship, collaboration, design-thinking, and early success with coding. This is intended to inspire an interest in programming at a professional level at a later stage.