Mary’s place kids code dance parties and explore computer science!
High school students Evan Harford and Benton Tameling, co-founders of KidzCoding, believe the language of code has the power to connect people of all ages, languages, and backgrounds.
Evan and Benton began teaching bi-weekly coding classes at Mary’s Place in summer of 2022 with the goal of sharing their love of computer science with kids who may not otherwise have access. Fast forward to today, and they’ve established a network of high school students teaching coding and STEM classes to kids at shelters, community centers, and after school programs in Seattle, Chicago, New York City, Irvine, and Claremont!
“In elementary school I was lucky to have a teacher who encouraged me to try out Scratch coding and block coding, and that’s something a lot of kids don’t have in their schools. There are a lot of great career paths in computer science, but most kids don’t have access to opportunities to learn those skills,” says Evan. “I’ve been involved with Mary’s Place since I was in elementary school volunteering with my mom, and I saw how valuable consistency and kid-to-kid connections were for the kids living in shelter, so I wanted to keep that going through these classes.”
In their KidzCoding classes, Evan, Benton, and other high school students lead coding lessons, robotics activities, and science experiments! Evan shares that at Mary's Place, coding dance parties is a favorite activity! “We do it at the end of every class and all the kids code their own avatar, scene, moves, and music. It’s cool to see them get more advanced every week and they’re always willing to help each other when a new kid joins. Not all the kids speak the same language, but in this activity, everyone can come together and enjoy a dance party through the lens of coding.”
Music and dance aren’t the only way Evan makes KidzCoding accessible to kids of different backgrounds. They’ve created a browser extension designed to walk users through Scratch coding activities using step-by-step visuals and simple instructions for kids who aren’t fluent in English. The extension can be used on all different devices and allows the volunteer teaching the class to see a kid’s activity and help them when they’re stuck. In their lessons, KidzCoding volunteers use free, web-based tools that are accessible on any internet-connected device to ensure kids still have access and can keep coding when they move on to permanent housing.
“It's so great to see all the progress being made in our classes. Last week we coded games and the kids had so many creative ideas for their game designs! It was amazing to see that they’ve gained the coding skills over time in these classes to make their ideas come to life,” shares Evan! “It’s always a bittersweet moment when a kid’s family moves on to permanent housing, it’s amazing and that’s what Mary’s Place is all about, but I miss seeing their progress in class and we all truly do become friends. One thing I’ve learned over the years being involved with Mary’s Place, that I think everyone should remember, is these kids are just like me and my KidzCoding partners! They’re smart, creative, and excited to learn and play, their families just happen to be going through a hard time.”
You can learn more about KidzCoding and download their Scratch browser extension at kidzcoding.org