IDEA Lab Kids Introduces Coding Program, Integrates Into After School Programs

Coding skills are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s world, and IDEA Lab Kids, a STEAM-focused enrichment concept, has introduced programs in alignment with the demand. For parents of young children, it can be difficult to find programs that offer such instruction for students in lower grades, and IDEA Lab Kids is working to increase this accessibility.

“Before coding classes launched, we had summer camps that had coding involved. Now, we are giving this instruction as a part of the after-school program,” explained Nishita Jarwala, an IDEA Lab Kids franchisee. “This is not something that’s widely offered, so parents are coming to us rather than another program.”

While the concept has incorporated coding topics into other enrichment for some time, individual coding classes are helping franchise owners better target interested students.

One of the main differentiators for IDEA Lab Kids is its engaging content delivery methods, which also holds true for its coding instruction. “We are rigorous in our academics and learning concepts in a way that’s still fun and engaging for our kids,” explained franchisee Kosal Chea.

As IDEA Lab Kids franchisees are able to incorporate coding instruction into already-thriving after-school programs, it will serve as yet another offering to draw in learners with diverse interests.

A 2020 survey found that 70.4% of people who can code begin programming before they are 18 years old, and nearly 20% start before their teen years. Coding among younger students is not uncommon, and the benefits of learning these skills early are numerous.

One of the most widely recognized benefits of learning to code is that it stimulates a learner’s problem-solving skills. Learning how to collaborate with others, fix “broken” code and code creatively to obtain a desired outcome stimulates problem-solving skills in young students that can be difficult to develop elsewhere. Similarly, coding teaches creativity and persistence.

Further, as the world becomes increasingly digitized, coding is an all-around useful skill. Allowing students to start learning early is a great way to position them for career success without applying too much pressure.

At IDEA Lab Kids, these benefits are manifested by placing students in accessible, accepting and, most importantly, enjoyable environments as they work through mastering their passions and interests alongside other STEAM concepts.