qmk-firmware VS ArduinoCore-avr

I'm too lazy to explain it but you can dip your toes into it here either at a surface level by reading the first few paragraphs or a deep dive if you read through it. I'm assuming that keyboard you linked uses qmk.

RGB functions will either be in RGB Lighting or RGB Matrix, depending on what your keyboard uses.

Can you describe what you mean? Like you tap a key an it sends ALT, but hold it to activate layer 1? (If that is it look up Tap Dance in ZMK)

TapDance

I can see all the information for implementing RBG Matrix is here: https://github.com/samhocevar-forks/qmk-firmware/blob/master/docs/feature_rgb_matrix.md

Gotta pick some project that matters to you and do it. Putting Python code into production with multi-person teams is outright maddening, but for the individual who wants to put their skills on wheels, Python is a great place to start.

Another fun thing to try is

https://www.arduino.cc/

I got started with that buying an Arduino and a breadboard and a handful of 74xx logic chips and I started writing Arduino programs that would generate inputs to the 74xx chips and verify the expected outputs and thus taught myself C coding for the Arduino and how to make circuits with discrete logic at the same time.

Check out existing implementations like Arduino: https://github.com/arduino/ArduinoCore-avr/blob/master/libraries/SPI/src/SPI.h

4. https://github.com/arduino/ArduinoCore-avr/blob/eabd762a1edcf076877b7bec28b7f99099141473/cores/arduino/main.cpp#L46

you can always just use an ide but i use this one on my old chrome book https://www.arduino.cc/

You'll also need the avr C library and the Arduino library, and possibly a Makefile or similar to corral the compilation process

Ya for $25 you either want 4-5 clones, or support the official Italian Arduino makers as thanks for making the entire ecosystem possible by buying one of their own boards from https://www.arduino.cc/

It depends what exactly is she into. For electronics you can check out arduino. They sell full kits with everything you need - some components like leds, breadboard so you can create circuits without soldering and a small 8bit computer to control everything with. AFAIK they also sell kits specifically for education starting with middle school.

They are in via Arduino. ;-)