At his last school, my son had an excellent program in his math class where he learned the basics of Java script and fell in love with coding. It’s exciting to see kids learn to code and develop technical skills in elementary school! He talked about designing his own video games and having a career in coding.

But then… we moved across the country, and his new school didn’t offer any advanced math or computer classes. He talked constantly about wanting to learn more coding, but we didn’t know where to begin.

Military kids face a different curriculum at every school

Being a military child can bring unique challenges and obstacles. My military kids have already lived in six different houses. Some of them are attending their 5^th school this year. Every time we move, it becomes increasingly difficult to find local classes and activities that have any continuity from the previous duty station. Each time we move, my children have to re-invent themselves and adapt to whatever hobbies are supported in the local area. In this constantly changing environment, how can kids learn to code?

So when I discovered online coding classes designed to be independent of a school curriculum, I was excited to see if these could help my son pursue his passion. We checked out the CodeWizardsHQ classes, which are designed to help kids transition from Scratch (basic block coding) to JavaScript, to Python, until they are comfortable building websites and databases.

CodeWizardsHQ helps kids learn to code, wherever they are stationed

I love the CodeWizardsHQ setup because:

• Students can start any time, based on age and ability
• All the classes are virtual, so you can sign in from a laptop anywhere
• Classes meet once a week, at a consistent time, so they are easy to remember
• There are several time options for each level, so it’s easy to find one that works for your time zone

My 12-year-old son has taken a month of the “Introduction to Python” classes so far, and he absolutely loves them! Each class is the highlight of his week, and he arranges his social plans around his weekend class. He told me:

“At the beginning of the class, I was interested in coding, but didn’t have anything I could use for it. But now I know how the different parts of code work.
The classes are really good. They have slides, and each slide talks about either why we have part of the lesson, what the pieces of code do, or the steps we need to take to create a program.
My teacher is really easy to understand, and he’s flexible too because he will help you and answer your questions during the class. He makes it fun, and makes sure we get the general concept.”

Why I’m excited when my kids learn to code

As a mom, my favorite part is that the classes are designed to build on each other in a consistent curriculum, from elementary school through high school. Over the years–no matter how often you move–kids learn to code and grow their technical skills. A high school student completing the program can acquire a certification and even do an internship that applies what they have learned to real-world jobs!

This provides a wonderfully consistent opportunity that is a rare experience for military kids. Once they begin CodeWizardsHQ, they can advance every year, even if they move to different states. No matter how often you PCS, your child won’t lose their progress in coding, and they can continue to grow their skills. You don’t have to worry about which programs are offered at your new school district, which takes a little stress off your moving research. And it’s a great way to keep kids occupied during the summer break.

Coding course details from CodeWizardsHQ

Of course, you’re probably curious about pricing. (I always am!) Thankfully, CodeWizardsHQ offers a generous military discount of 30% off all classes for military kids! Their 12-week classes are typically $447, but with the military discount it comes down to $313. There’s also a monthly payment option, if that fits your budget better. This makes it affordable so military kids learn to code. .

If your child wants to start coding this summer, you can join any of the standard 12-week classes, or you can take advantage of some unique summer classes. CodeWizardsHQ is currently offering 1-week camps based on Roblox and Minecraft. Kids learn to code via gaming! They also have three-week compressed versions of the 12-week classes, so the classes meet multiple times per week, instead of just once. A student could potentially take a year of programming courses in nine weeks during the summer. The camps and classes are available for elementary, middle, and high school students.

If you need help deciding whether this would be a great program for your child, I’ll leave you with these words from my son: “I would say overall it’s really fun and easy to learn! If you like to learn how computers and websites work, or any background code, then it’s the perfect way to start up your engines!”