Launching Cohort 3: The A-Team & Pair Challenge Structure
Refer to the blog post New Challenge Section For Cohort-3 for the background of this new initiative.
As we enter this new phase of growth at Michael Kent Burns (MKB), I am proud to announce the official launch of Cohort 3.
Our community is evolving. To recognize the expertise and dedication shown by our previous students, we are officially designating members of Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 as the “A-Team.” Moving forward, the A-Team will serve as mentors, guiding our newest students—Cohort 3—through a high-impact, hands-on learning journey.
The New “Pair Challenge” Model
We are moving away from individual isolated study to a Pair Challenge Structure. Each A-Team mentor will be paired with a Cohort 3 mentee. This partnership is designed to simulate a professional senior-junior developer relationship.
1. The Challenge Selection
Mentors will select a professional challenge from Frontend Mentor. This ensures our mentees are working on real-world designs and modern layouts.
- Technology Stack: All challenges must be completed using Vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. No frameworks (React, Vue, etc.) are allowed for these foundational challenges.
- Documentation: The mentor must include the original Frontend Mentor challenge link in the repository
README.mdand the GitHub Discussions tab.
2. Repository & Workflow Management
To maintain professional standards, mentors will manage the project lifecycle on GitHub:
- Setup: The mentor creates a new repository under the FreeDev Group GitHub organization.
- Planning: The mentor will break down the project into granular, step-by-step GitHub Issues. Each issue must clearly explain the specific task the mentee needs to complete.
- Communication: Mentors must open a thread in the GitHub Discussions tab to facilitate technical dialogue and project planning.
3. Mentee Responsibilities & Daily Pushes
Consistency is the key to growth.
- Daily Updates: Mentees are required to push their code daily.
- Commit Standards: Commit messages must be descriptive and reference the specific issue number (e.g.,
feat: implement navigation bar layout #4). - Progress Reports: Each daily commit should include a brief explanation of what was achieved that day.
4. Mentorship & Code Review
The mentor’s primary role is to ensure code quality through daily reviews.
- Feedback: Mentors will review the mentee’s code daily, leaving comments and suggestions directly on the Pull Requests.
- Submission: Once the challenge is complete, the mentee must submit their solution following the Official Frontend Mentor Guide.
5. Final Approval & Compensation
We are introducing a performance-based compensation model tracked via Upwork:
- A-Team Mentors: Mentors are paid for their time spent guiding and reviewing.
- Cohort 3 Mentees: Mentees will be paid upon the satisfactory completion of the project.
- Final Review: Once the mentor is satisfied with the code, they must invite Philémon (Team Leader) for a final code review. Payment is released, and the Upwork contract is closed only after this final verification.
This new structure is not just about writing code; it’s about learning the collaboration, documentation, and accountability required in the global tech industry.
A-Team, welcome to your new roles as leaders. Cohort 3, welcome to the challenge.
Philémon Project Leader, A-Team