Programming

Complete a digital safety briefing approved by your parent/guardian and leader (e.g., a Digital Safety video) and explain two rules you will follow to protect yourself and others online.

Discuss prevention and first aid for programming-related injuries (repetitive strain, eyestrain) and demonstrate an ergonomic workstation setup.

Explain the history of programming and language evolution by describing at least three major milestones and why each mattered.

List five popular programming languages and describe industries where each is commonly used, then name three programmed devices you rely on daily.

Explain four types of intellectual property (copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret) as they relate to software, and explain licensing vs owning software (including freeware, open source, and commercial terms).

Select three programming languages and development environments you will use for this badge and define a simple input→decision→output project for each.

• Name each language and environment (IDE/editor/runtime)
• Define the input type(s) and the expected output(s)
• Identify at least one decision point (if/else, match, branching logic) in each program
• Describe how you will test and debug each program

Define what ‘agentic programming’ means and plan an agent workflow that includes tools, constraints, and human approval checkpoints.

• Define the agent’s goal and what it is NOT allowed to do
• Identify at least two tools the agent may use (e.g., calculator, file search, web requests in a safe sandbox, API calls where permitted)
• Add an approval step before any external action (send, buy, post, delete, publish, or run code on a real system)
• List three failure modes (bad data, hallucinated facts, prompt injection) and the guardrails you will use

Build, debug, and demonstrate Program 1 in Language/Environment #1 that takes user input, makes at least one decision, and produces computed output.

• Demonstrate the program running with at least three test inputs
• Explain the decision logic and what conditions trigger each path
• Identify one bug you encountered (or intentionally introduce one), then show how you debugged it
• Explain how you would improve readability (naming, comments, structure)

Build, debug, and demonstrate Program 2 in Language/Environment #2 with different input and decision logic than Program 1.

• Use a different decision structure than Program 1 (e.g., loops + branching, pattern match, or data lookup)
• Demonstrate the program with at least three test inputs
• Explain how this language/environment changes development (tooling, syntax, runtime)
• Explain one tradeoff of this language for this problem

Build, debug, and demonstrate Program 3 in Language/Environment #3 with a new type of input/output (e.g., file, JSON, simple UI, or command-line arguments).

• Accept input from a different channel than Programs 1–2
• Produce an output that is saved or formatted (e.g., file output, JSON, report)
• Demonstrate at least two test scenarios
• Explain how you verified correctness

Implement and demonstrate an agentic program that performs a multi-step task with constraints, tool use, and a human approval checkpoint.

• Agent receives a goal and breaks it into steps (plan or task list)
• Agent uses at least one tool (e.g., calculator, local data lookup, file read/write in a safe sandbox)
• Agent asks for explicit human approval before the final action (e.g., generating the final output file, sending a message draft, or applying changes)
• Agent logs decisions and includes a ‘stop rule’ when uncertain
• Explain how you defended against prompt injection or bad instructions

Explain what you learned about debugging, discipline, and responsibility when software affects other people, and describe one habit you will keep as you continue programming.

Identify three programming-related career pathways and describe the education/training for one you might explore.