Table Of Contents
Software: Teen Perl
Groups: Perl Teens
Groups: Space Scouts & Perl Scouts
Awards: Certified Youth Programmer
Awards: Programming Merit Badge
Curriculum: Learning Perl
Curriculum: Learning RPerl

SOFTWARE: TEEN PERL

Fully Immersive World Of Perl

  • Teen Perl is the code name of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for teens and young adults.
  • The game is a combination of education and entertainment.
  • Teen Perl's target audience includes both gamers and coders.
  • Players earn in-game rewards by learning real-life skills.
  • Simple Perl scripts are used as magic spells to build confidence and increase experience points.
  • Advanced players utilize Perl algorithms to build custom features.
  • The goal is to use video games to teach teens Perl.

GROUPS: PERL TEENS

Social & Technology Clubs

  • Perl Teens is a meetup group for teens and young adults.
  • Club members make new friends and participate in fun activities.
  • Every Perl Teens chapter is sponsored by a nearby Perl Mongers group.
  • Chapters are youth led, with Perl Mongers providing adult support.
  • Planning meetings are held in local libraries and members' homes.
  • Activities include high-tech field trips, Teen Perl gaming parties, and hackathon lock-ins.
  • New Perl Mongers groups are formed by librarians and teachers and parents where none already exist.
  • Annual super activities are held during each official Perl conference.
  • The goal is to use social activities to teach teens Perl.

GROUPS: SPACE SCOUTS & PERL SCOUTS

Be Prepared With Perl

  • Space Scouts and Perl Scouts are co-ed youth leadership groups for teens and young adults, officially chartered through the Boy Scouts of America.
  • Like Perl Teens, Scouts make new friends at fun activities.
  • Like Perl Teens, Scout units are youth led, with adult Scouters and Perl Mongers providing adult support.
  • Scout units provide more structure with a focus on rank advancement.
  • Scout units provide more youth leadership opportunities and official youth leadership training courses.
  • Planning meetings are held at facilities provided by the adult chartered organization, which can be a Perl Mongers group or any other family-friendly business or non-profit or community group.
  • Activities include week-long high-adventure trips, model rocketry competitions, and outdoorsmanship and seamanship experiences.
  • Joint super activities are held in cooperation with Perl Teens chapters during annual Perl conferences.
  • The goal is to use Scouting activities to teach teens Perl.

AWARDS: CERTIFIED YOUTH PROGRAMMER

Professional Software Certification

  • Certified Youth Programmer is an official award available to teens and young adults.
  • Students work through standard coding exercises via the CYP curriculum or the Teen Perl educational gaming platform.
  • A minimum of 18 months of regular Perl activities must be logged, such as Perl Teens meetup clubs and Perl conferences.
  • All students must complete a final project where they lead a team of their peers in building a real-life software system.
  • Upon successful completion, students receive a framed diploma during their graduation ceremony.
  • CYP graduates earn a significant advantage in Perl job interviews and college applications.
  • The goal is to use professional certification to teach teens Perl.

AWARDS: PROGRAMMING MERIT BADGE

Perl Rank Advancement

  • The Programming Merit Badge is an official award available to youth already registered in the Boy Scouts of America.
  • Scouts work through coding exercises as well as non-coding activities.
  • Safety training includes the Cyber Chip online youth protection course.
  • Topics covered include computing history, software careers, and intellectual property.
  • The completed merit badge counts as credit toward additional BSA STEM Nova awards.
  • The goal is to use Scouting rank advancement to teach teens Perl.
  • MeritBadge.org Requirements
    Cyber Chip Training
    BoysLife.org Introduction
    BoysLife.org Perl Resources

CURRICULUM: LEARNING PERL

The Llama Book

  • This book is the original and most popular introduction to Perl.
  • Each chapter includes coding exercises, along with complete solutions in the appendix.
  • The New York Times says "Much of the Internet ... has been built by programmers who got their start by reading ... Learning Perl".
  • More than 500,000 copies have been sold world-wide.
  • The most up-to-date release is the 7th edition.
  • Subsequent books include Intermediate Perl and Mastering Perl.
  • The goal is to use standard literature to teach teens Perl.

CURRICULUM: LEARNING RPERL

The Roadrunner Book

  • This book is the definitive introduction to RPerl, the Perl compiler.
  • Each chapter corresponds to the respective chapter in Learning Perl.
  • Like Learning Perl, chapters include coding exercises with complete solutions in the appendix.
  • The content is a work in progress and is subject to change with new versions of RPerl.
  • Learning RPerl may be used as a companion book to Learning Perl, or as a stand-alone textbook.
  • The goal is to use specialized literature to teach teens Perl.