About SCU:BA

SCU:BA stands for Summer Coding @ UChicago: Builders Academy. (Sometimes it appears as SCUBA without the colon.) We are dedicated to teaching students how to write code, not just be able to create software, but also to practice thinking carefully and rigorously about complex problems. Our program has run every summer since the summer of 2022. The program is open to students attending public high schools in the greater Chicago area and is free to participants.

Our 2026 Instructors

Padraig Pearlman	Computer Science and English major University of Chicago Class of 2028 from Pelham, New York Fun fact: I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back out again.
Eli Saliman	Computer Science major at the University of Chicago University of Chicago Class of 2028 from Englewood, New Jersey Fun fact: I am an advanced indoor rock climber.

Administration

SCU:BA partners with UChicago Hillel and Code Your Dreams to make this program a reality.

• Adam Shaw
  • Academic Director of SCU:BA
  • Senior Instructional Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Chicago
• Brianne Caplan
  • Executive Director and Founder at Code Your Dreams
• Rabbi D'ror Chankin-Gould
  • Executive Director at UChicago Hillel

The Hymen Milgrom Supporting Organization

SCU:BA is made possible by a grant from the Successful Pathways from School to Work initiative of the University of Chicago, funded by the Hymen Milgrom Supporting Organization.