Skip to content

Java in Education Wiki Page

Jump to bottom
Harold Ogle edited this page Apr 21, 2026 · 260 revisions

StatusMeeting cadence Focus

📑 Table of Contents

✨ Introduction

Java moves our world. Java helps you to stay safe, connected with your friends and family, and grow every day. It powers apps on your phone, enterprise cloud systems, and even the latest frontiers like Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and more.

Think of any industry or technology and you’ll see Java there - from banking, health, commerce, gaming, insurance, and education to emergent industries that are still being developed. A mature and trusted ecosystem, Java has adapted to changing business needs over the years and remains relevant and popular.

As we celebrate 30 years of Java technology in 2025, let's pass the baton to the next generation. Participate in encouraging young developers to code in Java by engaging with local educational communities.

🌍 This effort is global, JUG-led, and supported by the JCP program.
💡 Our world. Moved by Java!

Join us to grow your local community and keep Java alive for future innovators.
Hashtag: #MovedByJava

📖 Recent Articles:

✨ Purpose

This wiki helps JUGs promote Java in their local educational institutions.

Goals:

  • 🏫 Bridge the gap between education and industry.
  • 🤝 Provide networking, mentoring, knowledge, and internships.
  • 🔧 Share open-source assignments and real-world projects.
  • 💡 Break myths about Modern Java and showcase its power.

📰 Articles

Paving the Onramp

Java User Groups

Materials

1. Java Feature Enhancements & JSR 381 (click to expand)

See also: Foundations of AI and Machine Learning for Java Developers at LinkedIn Learning by Frank Greco

Abstract: This presentation discusses Java feature enhancements as well as machine learning with Java - JSR 381, Visual Recognition.

2. Java in Education for JUGS v2.5 - Modern Java Features (click to expand)

Target Audience: Educators, CS instructors, students, and developers

Abstract - Java in Education v2.5 (New Features):

Covers Java SE 9 – Java SE 25 enhancements, modern coding examples, and comparisons with other languages.

  • Java is used by 95% of global employers for mission-critical systems.
  • Strengths include object-orientation, write-once-run-anywhere, multithreading, UI libraries, and a global ecosystem.
  • Helps educators defend their choice of Java in classrooms and guides students toward career success.
  • As Java evolves, so will this presentation — showing how a career in software development should begin with Java.
3. What is Java and Why Should You Learn it? (click to expand)
  • English - March 2024 version (pdf and pptx)
  • Spanish - December 2023 version (pdf and pptx)
  • Japanese - March 2024 version (pdf and pptx)

Target Audience:

  • With Programming background: High School students, college students, new developers
  • With no CS background: beginners curious about coding

Abstract:

Java powers global platforms like Wikipedia, Spotify, Google, Amazon. Java developers are among the highest paid worldwide.
This talk explains:

  • What Java is and how it solves real-world problems.
  • How it supports career growth and certification.
  • Why it remains one of the leading programming languages.
  • How joining JUGs builds networks and leads to internships/jobs.
    Come for Java; stay for all the fun!
4. 'A Day in the Life of a Software Engineer' Sample Presentations (click to expand)

Target Audience: Students who want to learn what it is like to be a software engineer.

Abstract:

Sample presentations by professionals in the software development industry to present to students to inspire them about their profession.

5. 'Ten Improvements to Java that Ease Learning the Language' Presentation in development (click to expand)

Content Type: 50 min. Breakout Session

Target Audience: Intermediate to Expert Full-Stack, Cloud, AI, and Enterprise Application Developers, as they are more likely to also be teaching.

Abstract:

While Java continues to be amongst the top three programming languages, its place in education has been declining. In this presentation we plan to talk about 10, or maybe more, changes and enhancements to Java in the past few years that have significantly simplified learning to program. Proponents of other languages that have criticized Java has been frequently based on their knowledge of much older version of the language. Are you using Java 25? If you are then its time to say goodbye to the C-style switch. The compact source file gives the language named after a British comedy troupe, Monty Python, a run for its money in simplicity. Use modules and dozens of imports are eliminated. The list goes on. Whether you are teaching or coding Java today then this presentation will excite you. It excites me.

Far too many institutions have failed to advance past Java 8. Even the search engine Bing typically answers queries about Java with references to Java 8. We are not getting the message out that Java has changed. You can write operational code in just 3 lines. Structures such as the switch have changed dramatically from the days of the C language yet far too many developers and teachers are not keeping up to date. This session will look at changes to Java that make a real difference in learning the language and using it.

🤝 How JUGs can Participate

Click to expand participation details of each.

How to get Started

Host a workshop in your JUG

Hosting a workshop can encourage members of your JUG to consider participating in this initiative.

Best Practices for Teaching and Mentoring

Learn how to work with students at different ages or levels, as well as best practices for mentoring in the workplace.

Involve local educators

Invite local teachers to attend or co-present with you. Don’t make it overwhelming for them to participate.

Reaching out to Universities
  • Reach out to student associations, college professors, or assistants - try to figure out what they are looking for from the industry.
  • Offer to host sessions by industry professionals (from your JUG) at their educational institutions.
  • Offer to help or organize Java hack days.
  • Offer to be a guest speaker at computer science, object-oriented, or Java course.
  • Hold a JUG meeting (virtual or in-person) for students (see link).
  • Encourage students and their professors to join your JUG or its mailing list.
  • Professors are actively looking out for internships for their students in good organizations. JUGs can help by sharing any open internships.
  • Encourage students to write Oracle's Java Programmer Certification exams. Recognized by the industry the world over, these certifications help students to know Java inside out and work with great projects and organizations.
  • Help university (professors) to update their curriculum or advice on it.
Secondary School Student Engagement
  • Reach out to schools at all levels, especially computer courses or after school programs.
  • Identify just one or two schools as targets to establish a relationship and get familiar with their facilities.
  • Offer to host a 'Meet a Programmer' day at a school as a way to start the relationship.
  • Prepare a 2 or 3 hour activity that your JUG members could lead with the assistance of the school’s teaching staff and share Devoxx 4 Kids and Devoxx 4 Kids - Oracle Academy with the teachers, and offer to go over the lesson plans with the teachers - you can modify and translate these materials in the GitHub repo (link to Devoxx4Kids repo) - encourage the use of the tools you can find there: Scratch, Alice, BlueJ, Greenfoot, etc.
  • Invite teachers or students from your local educational institutions to your meetups. Encourage them to attend, volunteer or deliver sessions.
  • Visit your local educational institutions and host a session or workshop.

Once you have scheduled a session with an educational institution, present one of these sample sessions - see the materials below.

Videos

Hear from global leaders, champions, and educators.

Click to expand full video list
  • Video message from Heather VanCura

    Message from Heather VanCura, VP at Oracle and JCP Chair.

  • It is time we rethink how we teach Java to beginners

    Ken Fogel talks about how he has reconsidered how to teach Java in light of Project Amber's updates to the language.

  • Video message from Barry Burd

    Barry Burd is a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, a Java user group leader, the author of "Java For Dummies," and a Java Champion. In this video, he explains how Java's thoughtful, elegant design makes teaching and writing a pleasure.

  • Video message from Edwin Derks

    Edwin Derks is a Java Champion, Principle Software Architect at Ordina, writer, speaker, and contributor to the Jakarta EE and MicroProfile projects. In this video, he explains how Java is more than just a programming language.

  • Video message from Ken Fogel

    Listen to Ken Fogel, a CS teacher for 31 years, as he discusses problems in how programming is taught and what he does to overcome the problem of students who graduate unprepared for the workplace. As he describes it, Java is the complete toolkit.

  • Video message from Arun Gupta

    Learn about how Arun has been involved with Java for multiple companies, is deeply engaged in the community, and how has contributed by giving talks, authoring blogs and books, and promoting STEAM to younger developers.

  • Video message from Mala Gupta

    Mala is an author of multiple books on Java, talks about the history of JetBrains, and what makes it the most popular Java IDE. She talks about how Java is a robust, secure, and relevant language and has been a life of her career.

  • Video message from Kenji Kazumura

    Listen to Kenji Kazamura from Fujitsu talk about why Java is the preeminent language in the enterprise space. With 20 years of experience in the Java, Kenji talks about how Java continues to evolve and remain as a cutting-edge technology.

  • Video message from Carlos Obregón

    Carlos Obregón is a Java Champion and a Bogotá JUG leader.

  • Video message from Simon Ritter

    Simon is Deputy CTO at Azul. He is a prolific speaker who talks to a lot of developers and helps them understand Java. His early bets on Java paid off and stayed very much part of his journey from the very beginning.

  • Video message from Anton Rodriguez

    Anton Rodriguez is from Spain and is organizers of CoruñaJUG and VigoJUG.

  • Interview with Dominican Republic JUG by Heather VanCura

👉 Want to contribute? Submit your video here (in any language).

Experience of JUG Leaders and their Success Stories

Oracle Academy

Junior Java Developer Meetings

Information Hosted on Wiki Page

  • List of resources JUG members could access to host a session at their local educational institutions.
  • List of initiatives - devoxx4kids.
  • Existing resources / tools - Oracle University courses
  • Presentation by Ken - why Java.
  • Material for - how to get started - Host your first XYZ session at a school.
  • Tips - how to connect to educational institutions - management / teachers / professors / students.
  • Types of session - 50 min conference style/ workshops (2 hrs / half day / full day).

Resources

Duke Artwork for Java in Education

Visit https://jcp.org/java-in-education for more information.

Join us at https://groups.io/g/EducationInJava

Java in Education

Clone this wiki locally