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North Shore, IL

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Welcome to theCoderSchool
827 N Waukegan Rd,
across from Village Hall

(847)780-7577northshore@thecoderschool.com

Hey super-parent! We're happy you're looking for options to get your kids learning to code. It's SUCH an amazing skill to learn and will help your kids in more ways than you can imagine! We're super excited to be bringing Silicon Valley's #1 kids coding program to the area to help your kids get going, so read on and let's get our kids coding!

At theCoderSchool, we want to do more than just teach coding. We want aspiring coders to use their new found passion as a stepping stone to thinking outside the box, as a way to channel their ideas in a creative way and most importantly, to have fun. Interested? Fill out the form and we'll be in touch shortly to tell you more!

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Our Philosophy

Looking for coding lessons for kids near Chicago? We're here to help. We believe every kid is different, so we teach them accordingly. Our expert coders teach our students in a super-small two to one ratio, allowing our Code Coaches to personalize projects built to suit each student. Kids are able to move at their own pace and engage in things that interest them most.

Our Programs

Our coding school's flagship after-school program, Code Coaching, combines a super-small 2:1 teaching ratio with individualized curriculum. Although Code Coaching works from novice to advanced coders, we also offer entry-level classes for those looking for a more traditional class in a larger ratio, as well as @school classes and our ever popular coding camps.

Our System

We're part of a nationwide system of over 65 locations around the country, teaching over 7,000 students every week with the brainpower of 1000+ expert Code Coaches®. Headquartered and founded in Silicon Valley since 2014, we're proud of the impact theCoderSchool has had on communities everywhere. Find out more about Who We Are in our brand video .

How Students Progress

OUR CODER TREE

See our visualization of what kids are learning and a sampling of possibilities.

Learn About
Our Coder Tree

OUR CODER STORY

Find our coding roadmap that goes beyond coding custom apps to building a story for college

Our Coding Camps

From AI to bots, web development to games, we got it all. Our camps stick to a low ratio of around 6:1 and are taught by our expert Code Coaches.

Our Upcoming Events

Beginner Code Class

Beginner Code Class -Saturdays, 4/27-6/8, 1:00-2:00pm

Ages 6+

This fun class for is all about coding games - and the awesomeness that comes from it! Students will not only create real functioning games from scratch, they'll practice the fundamental coding concepts required in any language, learn how to think logically, and have fun while doing it. Using Scratch, MIT's popular drag-and-drop programming language, campers will code cool playable games with guidance from our seasoned code coaches.

Ages 6+

Python Spring Class

Python Spring Class -Saturdays, 4/27-6/8, 2:00-3:00pm

Ages 11-14

Python is a great way to start learning text-based languages for a number of reasons. Its simple syntax is focused on readability, it features easy package installation and it works with a variety of coding paradigms. It's also used by professional coders in real-world environments! By learning python, kids learn logical thinking and organizational skills that transfer into a wide variety of coding projects.

Ages 11-14

Our Testimonials

  • "The Coder School is a true gem to the North Shore, and especially Highland Park! They take the time to learn about the student and their interests to pair them up with a Coach that is geared specifically to their interests and skills! My son loves going every week, and has grown exponentially! Not only has he become more confident in his computer and coding skills, but it has also taught him how to think outside the box and to keep pushing when the first answer isn't correct! If your child even shows a modicum of interest in computers and coding, run, don't walk, to sign up for Code Coaching and Coder School! You will not be disappointed!"
    Rebecca S., Highland Park, IL
  • "The Coder School has been a fantastic learning experience for my son. Staff and teachers are top notch. He is learning coding, math and computer hardware concepts we never thought possible at his age. Thanks Corey!"
    Daniel K., Highland Park, IL
  • "I absolutely LOVE my job with theCoderSchool. Everyday I get to teach kids with theCodeSchool makes me excited to get out of bed."
    theCoderSchool , Code Coach

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Apps We Build

Each year, theCoderSchool partners with the Congressional App Challenge, a nationwide coding contest run by districts of the U.S. Congress. Some of our students have won this prestigious prize, met their U.S. Congressperson, and even flown to DC for the winners event. Take a look at some recent CAC winners from theCoderSchool, or browse through our Live App Gallery to see custom apps our students are building!

School Info

theCoderSchool Logo
827 N Waukegan Rd
across from Village Hall
(847)780-7577
northshore@thecoderschool.com
Monday: 3:00 – 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 3:00 – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 3:00 – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 3:00 – 8:00 PM
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

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Meet Our Owners

Justin and Robin Brown

Hi! We're Justin and Robin Brown, co-owners of theCoderSchool-North Shore. As a local family, we are excited to bring theCoderSchool to the North Shore! Robin grew up in Deerfield and has been involved in the education world through her work as a registered dietitian. Though Robin's coding experience is minimal, she knows that teaching our kids to code is just as important as teaching them to eat healthy and be active for their futures.

Justin grew up in the suburbs of Michigan and came to Chicago for law school. As an entrepreneur, Justin decided to learn how to code so he could build his own websites. While taking classes, Justin knew that he one day wanted to teach his own kids and others how to code. Justin and Robin have twin toddlers with one on the way. Though they are too young to take classes now, they'll be signed up for classes as soon as they can read and type!

Chad and Karen Kreindler

Hi! We're Chad and Karen, co-owners of theCoderSchool-North Shore. As a local family, we are also excited to bring theCoderSchool to the North Shore!

Karen grew up in Deerfield and has been involved in the education world through her work as an inclusion facilitator in the Glencoe School District. She has a passion for providing equality of access to education and believes that the same applies to technology and coding.

Chad grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati and came to Chicago after graduating from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. After moving to Chicago, Chad also graduated from DePaul University’s MBA Program. As someone who has a passion for technology and education, Chad has worked in EdTech for the past 9 years - initially as a National Lead for T-Mobile's "Connecting the Classroom" initiative and more recently as a Strategic Accounts Director at Blackboard, K-12. In his experience, he has seen the importance of incorporating a personalized approach to learning as means to better engage kids to learn. Chad and Karen have two daughters, Ella and Tessa. Although they are not yet ready for code coaching, we are confident they will be masters of Scratch soon enough!

We're always looking for great Code Coaches. Shoot us an email with resumé to see if we're a fit!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can coding help kids?

Many folks might think learning to code is so kids can actually code an app. Honestly, that's not usually the case! Coding real-life apps is tough. Despite what the media says, your kid is not writing some million dollar app by themselves in a month. Instead, coding helps kid *solve problems*. Coding is all about debugging and logically thinking through the fix. Breaking a large problem into smaller parts, logical sequencing, these are all important problem solving skills for any kid (or adult!). A second benefit is confidence and passion in technology. There's plenty of time for kids to learn the latest real tech (which changes all the time), but the time to build passion for technology (and a foundational knowledge base) is when they're young!

What is the best coding language to learn as a beginner?

The truth is, Scratch is amazing for a beginner at ANY AGE. If someone is truly a beginner, a platform like Scratch can allow them to create and engage much more quickly. Older kids (say 11 and up) can soon move to a language like Python or Javascript. Just remember that it takes a LOT MORE work to get Python/Javascript to do the same thing as Scratch - so the kids will need some patience. No matter what anyone tells you please DO NOT start learning with Java or C++! Those languages are too advanced to start with, and we've seen it too often - kids will give up because it's so hard! Definition of backfiring!

What is the best age to start coding?

It depends - we think the best age is the age they want to do it! Listen, there's plenty of time to *really* learn to code - there's a reason Comp Sci is a really tough college degree. The important thing in the younger years is to bring out the desire and passion to learn more - that's why at theCoderSchool we customize our projects based on the student's interests and really focus on engagement before learning.

How do I get accepted into a college computer science program?

These days, top colleges are incredibly selective. Learning to code by itself probably won't help you stand out enough. Instead, consider building a unique Coder Story. Can we help? Sure can!

What are the benefits of kids learning to code?

Children of all ages can benefit from learning coding skills, and students who get hands-on experience with computer programming go on to excel in other subjects Coding helps students gain computer proficiency and build real-world problem-solving skills. Exploring technology is essential for computer literacy. Building fundamental coding skills encourages creativity, promotes teamwork, and enhances spatial intelligence and logical thinking skills. Kids of all ages can learn computer science. For teenagers, learning how to code leads to the development of transferable skills that can be applied in future careers or workplaces. If your student is interested in data science or machine learning, a self-paced course in computer programming can help pave their path.

As you and your family consider coding programs, it helps to keep in mind:

  • The age of the student (we can teach kids as young as six)
  • Their individual interests (such as Lego, Roblox, robotics, video game design, or artificial intelligence)
  • Any previous hands-on experience with coding (even exposure to mobile apps or playing with Minecraft counts)
  • Preferred learning style (we offer both flexible and structured curricula and support self-paced learning)
  • Social skills (some students learn best in one-on-one lessons, while others favor teamwork)

    Whether the student wants to explore Minecraft modding in Minecraft camp, is interested in HTML, or wants to learn block-based coding like CSS, our interactive classes provide a great coding experience.

    Can a 6 year old do coding?

    Sure! Kids this young are just developing their sense of logic. While some advanced 6 year olds are ready to dive into learning Scratch, many are better off with fun learning apps like Kodable or Scratch Jr..

    How do kids learn to code?

    Same way adults do! The best way to learn something is to just DO it. It's not about all the theory and fancy words, it's about just doing it over and over again. If you're a parent with a college degree, think back. How much of that theoretical curriculum did you really use in your job? Or did you really learn your job by DOING your job? It's the same with kids, we'll mentor and guide them, but most importantly, we'll get them to code something custom that they want to code!

    Where is the best place to learn coding for kids?

    We're a little bit biased, but we think it's theCoderSchool! There's no better way to learn anything, including coding, than just doing it with a mentor to guide you. Online or in person, our Code Coaches will give you that low-ratio full attention that every kid deserves!
  • Read about Private+Semi-Private Coaching, Virtual Learning, Coding Classes, Robotics, Python, Scratch, or Video Game Coding
    or check out our general blog or our student blogs

    What is theCoderSchool? We are an after-school drop-off (and virtual) program for kids learning to code - a coding school! There's after-school kung fu. There's after-school music lessons, sports, art, tutoring, Chinese, you name it, it's out there. But coding classes for kids? Founded in 2013, we're the first of many, and the largest in Silicon Valley with more locations on the way around the country. The future will be ever more dependent on technology so let's get our young generation ready. Learn to Code, Change the World®.

    Got a question? Email us at northshore@thecoderschool.com!

    copyright 2014-2022, the Coder School San Francisco, LLC. All Rights, Alright? Don't forget our privacy policy. Find out who we are or like us on facebook.