Slack

Setting Up

Complete all of the steps below before scholars join the Slack workspace.

Step 1: Edit Your Profile

Click your icon in the bottom left and select Profile

Click Edit next to each section and add the following:

Display Name: Your full first and last name — there are thousands of active users in the KWK workspace, so clarity matters

Pronouns

Role: Instructor or IA

Time Zone

Photo: A simple headshot works great

Click Save Changes

Step 2: Download the Slack App

Download Slack on both your computer and your phone. You'll be using it extensively throughout camp and you don't want to miss anything important.

Slack for Mac

Slack for Windows

Step 3: Configure Your Notifications

We recommend setting notifications to alert you for direct messages, mentions, and keywords only. This keeps you informed without overwhelming you during sessions.

Click your profile picture in the sidebar

Select Preferences → Notifications

Under Notify me about, select your preferred triggers

To use different settings on mobile, check Use different settings for my mobile devices

To disable thread notifications, uncheck Notify me about replies to threads I'm following

Step 4: Mute Slack Sounds

Slack notification sounds can be distracting, especially if you're sharing your screen and audio during a session. Mute them before camp starts:

Click the workspace name in the upper left

Select Preferences → Notifications

Scroll to Sound & appearance and check Mute all messaging sounds from Slack

Channel Structure

Slack channels are set up intentionally so scholars and the instructional team can communicate effectively. The channels you're in will vary slightly by modality, but the core structure is consistent.

📍In-Person Camps

Channel Name	Who	Description	Slack Example
Camp Team	Instructors, IAs, & KWK team	Your team's main channel for announcements, reminders, and real-time coordination. Pin important messages so they don't get buried.	`#team_1-6_ai_dal`
Content	All content IAs in a Wave & relevant KWK team members	Used by the KWK team to communicate with content IAs. Co-IAs will decide during your first collaboration meeting who owns content collection.	`#w1-content-ias`
Lunch	Lunch IA & relevant KWK team members	Used by the KWK team to communicate with the IA managing lunch logistics. Co-IAs will decide during your first collaboration meeting who owns this responsibility.	`#lunch_1-6_dal`
Camp Scholars	Scholars, Instructors, IAs, & the KWK team	The main space for ILs to share resources and announcements and for scholars to share technical questions.	`#scholars_1-6_ai_dal`
Capstone Groups	3-4 scholars working together on a final project, IAs, & Instructors	Private channels created by the project manager for the 3-4 scholars in a project group. The KWK team should not be added to these channels.	`#cp_group1_camp1-6`

💻 Virtual Camps

Channel Name	Who	Description	Slack Example
Camp Team	Instructors, VCC, IAs, & KWK team	Your team's main channel for announcements, reminders, and real-time coordination. Pin important messages so they don't get buried.	`#team_1-1_ds_gmt`
House Team	Co-IAs, Instructors, VCC, & KWK team	Used by Co-IAs to coordinate about anything related to their house. Share important camp-related information in this channel so the KWK team can stay in the loop.	`#team_1-1_ds_gmt_house_a`
Content	All content IAs in a Wave & relevant KWK team members	Used by the KWK team to communicate with content IAs. Co-IAs will decide during your first collaboration meeting who owns content collection.	`#w1-content-ias`
Camp Scholars	Scholars, Instructors, IAs, & the KWK team	The main space for ILs to share resources and announcements.	`#scholars_1-1_ds_gmt`
House Scholars	Scholars, Co-IAs, & the KWK team	The primary space for scholars in each house to ask technical questions, share concerns, and connect with their IAs. IAs can also use this channel to share house-specific resources and announcements.	`#scholars_1-1_ds_gmt_house_a`
Capstone Groups	3-4 scholars working together on a final project, IAs, & Instructors	Private channels created by the project manager for the 3-4 scholars in a project group. The KWK team should not be added to these channels.	`#cp_group1_camp1-1_house_a`

KWK Team Tags

Use these tags to make sure your messages reach the right people on the KWK team:

@curriculum-instruction — Questions about curriculum or instruction

@logistics — Operational or in-person camp logistics

@travel-hr — Travel or HR questions (payroll, TriNet onboarding, expense reimbursement)

@integrations — Questions about integrations at your specific camp

@attendance — Attendance questions or major attendance concerns

@kwk-team — Catch-all for miscellaneous questions

Daily Messages

The three types of messages you'll send to scholars every day are consistent across modalities, but the timing and specific content vary.

Morning Message

The morning message reminds scholars of when camp starts, the day's theme, key reminders, and any announcements.

📍In-Person Camps

Send at least 60 minutes before camp starts (or schedule it the night before). Include arrival reminders, building logistics, and any theme day details.

💻 Virtual Camps

Send at least 30 minutes before camp starts. Include the Zoom link. Can come from House IAs in their house channel and from the VCC in the general camp channel.

Sample — 📍In-Person Message

Good morning, scholars ☀️ We're looking forward to seeing you in two hours at 9:00 AM at Goldman Sachs! A few reminders:
Today's theme is On Wednesdays We Wear Pink 💖
Sign in with Maddie when you arrive 📋
Bring a reusable water bottle 🚰
Bring a layer — we have limited control over the AC! ❄️

Sample — 💻 Virtual Message

IT'S TIME FOR DAY TWO, HOUSE A!! ☀️ Grab some coffee and breakfast because camp starts in 30 minutes! ☕️ A few reminders before camp starts this morning at 9:30 AM CT:
🔗 Here's your Zoom link for today!
🌈 Today is Tie Dye Tuesday! Pull out those tie-dyed fits. We also have a new House A virtual background attached to this message!
🤔 Questions? Ask coding questions by replying to the thread your IA will post for every lesson. Include the join link to your code so we can help!
React with your favorite breakfast emoji when you've seen this! 🍳🍩🧇🥞

Sample — 💻 Virtual Day 1 Message

Hi everyone! Tomorrow is the very first day of camp, so here is everything you need to know to be fully prepared ✨

We will be using THIS Zoom link everyday, so you can bookmark it for quick access!
You have access to the Kode with Klossy Curriculum HERE that has everything we will be going over in the next two weeks! (password: wddivas)

Make sure you have:
✔️ A stable internet connection 💻
✔️ Snacks and drinks 🥤🍿🥨
✔️ Slack notifications on! Don’t want to miss anything important!
✔️ We would ❤️ if you could have your cameras on for camp! It makes camp MUCH more fun, trust us!
✔️ A positive vibe!! 🦋
👩‍💻 Change your Zoom name to House Letter First Name Last Name (pronouns) ex: A - Karlie Kloss (she/her) so we can easily take attendance and move y’all into breakout rooms!
‼️🙋‍♀️ If you have any personal questions or concerns, please DM us both!!
React with your favorite emoji to confirm you’ve read this!

Timing and Announcements

Throughout the day you'll send messages to share links, call scholars back from breaks, announce special events, and share any important updates. These can be formatted however works best for your camp. The goal is simply to keep scholars informed and on track.

Sample — 💻 Virtual End-of-Day Message

What an AMAZING day, House Enigma!
🥳 After Party
Come to the After Party 🪩 to practice CSS Syntax or help with any other questions ❓ you have!
After Party link: {insert link here}
🌔PM Time🌔: 5:30 - 7:30pm
🌅AM Time🌅: 8:00 - 9:00am tomorrow
Quick links doc for slides, recordings and resources
🪐 Theme Day:
Tomorrow’s theme day will be On Wednesdays We Wear Pink💗 In Space🌌
Use the virtual background provided👇

Help Threads

At the start of each lesson and each practice session, post a message in the scholar-facing Slack channel. Scholars reply in the thread with their questions. This keeps the main channel clean, creates a record of common questions, and allows IAs to answer questions without interrupting instruction.

Sample — Lesson Help Thread

🔁 Loops & Arrays | Help Desk 🙋‍♀️
It's time for another lesson in JavaScript! This morning we'll be learning about iteration and how you can create loops in your code! ✨ If you'd like to follow along, here's the curriculum link. During the lesson and the code-along, drop the link to your CodeSandbox and any questions you have in this thread! 🧵

Suggestions For Staying Organized

Write Your Messages in Advance

One of the most consistent pieces of advice from experienced ILs: write all of your Slack messages in advance and schedule them to send at the right time. The benefits:

Important information doesn't get forgotten in the rush of the day

You can think through the full arc of the day before it starts

Your messages are more thoughtful and better formatted

You end up with a reusable resource for future camps

Compiling your messages in a shared document with your Co-IA or co-instructor is especially helpful for staying aligned.

Keep Your Channels Organized

The number of Slack channels you're in adds up quickly. Build out sections in your sidebar — grouping channels by camp, by audience (scholar-facing vs. team-facing), or whatever system works for you — so you always know where to look. To create a section: right-click in the sidebar → Create → Create Section, then drag channels into it.

Best Practices To Help Scholars Get The Most Out Of Your Messages

Use the Code Feature for Code Snippets

When sharing code in Slack, always use the code formatting options — pasting plain text can change the formatting and break the code.

For one line of code use the Code formatting function (⌘ Shift C) — For one line of code use the **Code** formatting function (`⌘` `Shift` `C`)

For multiple lines use Code Block formatting (⌘ Option Shift C) — For multiple lines use **Code Block** formatting (`⌘` `Option` `Shift` `C`)

Use Hyperlinks Thoughtfully

When sharing links, always hyperlink with context rather than dropping a raw URL. It makes messages easier to scan and helps anyone searching back through Slack understand what the link was about.

Encourage Reactions

Ask scholars to react to messages to confirm they've read them. It's a lightweight engagement check and a fun way to build culture. Ask for their favorite food emoji, favorite animal, or anything that fits the day's theme.

Bookmark the Most Important Links

Use Slack's bookmark feature to pin the most-accessed links at the top of your channels — the Quick Links doc, the Zoom link (virtual), curriculum links, and anything else scholars or the team will need throughout the day.

Add Custom Emojis

Custom emojis are a great way to build camp culture and keep inside jokes alive. Just make sure any emoji you add is appropriate. They're added for everyone in the workspace!