Foundations quest map
Level up one week at a time
Finish a week's check-in to unlock the next island. Every capstone earns a printable certificate you can take home.
Linux & Operating Systems
Talk to a computer the way professionals do — with words, not clicks.
- Week 4
Environment Variables, Processes & Shell Scripts
Automate boring work with a few lines of script.
ISTE 5dCSTA 2-AP-13Opens after week 3 class wraps up
- Week 5
Software Package Management
How software gets installed when there is no app store.
ISTE 5aCSTA 2-CS-03Opens after week 4 class wraps up
- Week 6Capstone
Capstone: Build & Troubleshoot a Web Server
Stand up a simulated web server and fix what breaks.
ISTE 4dCSTA 2-CS-03Opens after week 5 class wraps up
Hardware & Systems
Open the case. Learn every part by name and by job.
- Week 4
BIOS/UEFI, Boot Process & Firmware
What happens in the seconds before you see a desktop.
ISTE 5cCSTA 2-CS-02Opens after week 3 class wraps up
- Week 5
Diagnostics & Troubleshooting
A repeatable method for finding what broke.
ISTE 4dCSTA 2-CS-03Opens after week 4 class wraps up
- Week 6Capstone
Capstone: Virtual PC Build Challenge
Build a working machine to a budget and a purpose.
ISTE 4cOpens after week 5 class wraps up
Networking Foundations
How a message gets from your Chromebook to the other side of the world.
- Week 4
MAC Addresses, Switches vs Routers
Who forwards what, and where.
CSTA 2-NI-04Opens after week 3 class wraps up
- Week 5
DNS, DHCP & Web Protocols
Names, automatic addresses, and HTTPS.
ISTE 2bCSTA 2-NI-05Opens after week 4 class wraps up
- Week 6
Wireless Networks
Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth compared.
CSTA 2-NI-04Opens after week 5 class wraps up
- Week 7
Firewalls, VPNs & Cybersecurity Basics
Keeping the bad traffic out and private traffic private.
ISTE 2dCSTA 2-NI-06Opens after week 6 class wraps up
- Week 8Capstone
Capstone: Virtual Network Topology Builder
Design and defend a small school network.
ISTE 4cCSTA 3A-NI-04Opens after week 7 class wraps up
Cloud Computing
Someone else's computer — and why that changed everything.
- Week 4
Cloud Storage & Object Storage
Buckets, objects, and why folders are a lie.
ISTE 5cOpens after week 3 class wraps up
- Week 5
IAM & Security Principles
Least privilege, in practice.
ISTE 2bCSTA 3A-NI-05Opens after week 4 class wraps up
- Week 6Capstone
Capstone: Multi-Tier App Deployment
Deploy a simulated three-tier application.
ISTE 4dOpens after week 5 class wraps up