March 2020 was a pivotal month for Canton Coders. What started as a challenge became an opportunity that would transform our community forever.
The Challenge
On March 14th, 2020, we made the difficult decision to cancel our in-person meetup scheduled for March 18th. We had 67 RSVPs – our biggest turnout yet – but the emerging COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that gathering in person wasn’t safe.
The Pivot
Instead of canceling entirely, we decided to experiment with our first online stream. On March 18th, 2020, 51 developers joined us online. That first virtual meetup showed us something powerful: technology could connect us beyond geographic boundaries.
The Growth
What happened next exceeded our wildest expectations. COVID allowed us to grow a global element, with hundreds of developers joining us on:
- discord.cantoncoders.org
- slack.cantoncoders.org
Our local Canton meetup became a global community, proving that the best developer communities aren’t defined by location – they’re defined by shared values and passion for the craft.
Looking Forward
While we’ve grown in numbers and scope, our commitment to local engagement remains unwavering. We continue to host regular meetups in Canton, Michigan, while serving thousands of developers worldwide.
Join us on this journey – we’d love to find out what happiness in code means to you!
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