Courtesy of Code Ninja
When Ron and Jennifer Heinz set out to bring a new type of learning center to St. Louis area kids, they settled on a coding center with a fun theme—so fun, kids might not even realize that they're learning.
At Code Ninjas, kids,—referred to as ninjas—step into a dojo to learn skills and gain belts just as they would in a karate class. But at this after-school activity, kids are up against circuit boards, not wood boards, and they're learning a language that was onetime reserved for college courses.
Code Ninjas opened in O'Fallon (2955 Highway K) late last year, making it the first in the state. With the center, Ron and Jennifer hope learning coding and computer skills will no longer just be aimed at kids who already show a heavy interest in computers. Instead, no matter their previous interests, all types of children will come together to learn in the space.
"We have kids who come in soccer gear, sitting beside a kid who is taking Taekwondo, who's sitting beside a kid who doesn't have any other activities besides this," Jennifer says.
Offering eight hours of coding sessions per month, the center allows kids to enter at flexible times between 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturdays. Upon entering, students will swipe their wrist band, letting an instructor know they have arrived for their one- or two-hour session. After parents have dropped off their child for a session, they can stay involved from home with emails or logging into a parent portal to see the student's progress.
The ninjas learn the basics of coding through a program called Scratch. Ron and Jennifer often see kids walk into sessions thinking it will be more difficult than it actually is. But if they do find a particular aspect challenging, they can work longer on it, as the the curriculum is set at their own pace.
Courtesy of Code Ninja
The lobby at Code Ninja.
Ron, who has a 20-year background in computer science, and Jennifer have already seen the difference their coding center can make with their own daughter, as she can now easily tinker with a circuit board.
"Just to have that confidence, because she's been introduced to [the skill set]. That, as a parent and as a female, means the world to me, to know that I've been able to open those doors for her," Jennifer says. "Not to say that I would have been an engineer if given those opportunities, but it definitely gives you familiarity with the subject and it doesn't make [following that career path] seem so impossible."
Courtesy of Code Ninja
What makes learning coding attainable for kids this age? Jennifer compares the curriculum to learning the ABCs. "You didn't write an essay before you learned how to write the letter A," she says.
To unite kids of all interests, the curriculum also centers around video game building, making "it fun for them to learn the basic and core computer science principles and concepts," Ron says.
The overall goal is for kids to come in, learn as they play, and not feel like their time at Code Ninjas is a continuation of a school day.
One Friday a month, the center offers a "Parents Night Out" where parents can drop their kids off for a night of learning through STEM activities, eating pizza, and playing Xbox.
