Future Coders: Code Ninjas

Recently I had the opportunity to see first-hand, at the invitation of Shauna & Ian Chan of Code Ninjas Burlington, what future coders are doing. They're learning coding through games. And it makes so much sense. The attraction of games to kids, in this case aged 7-14 years old, exists everywhere. These kids not only code and play their games, they earn 'belts' - in this case wrist bands - from white to black belt (the 'path of enlightenment') at which point they are coding apps for app stores.

Code Sensei's (often university students in computer science programs) teach Scratch, Java script, Python and more to children who need not have any coding experience. Pokemon challenges, Minecraft camps, birthday parties, even simply fun and game nights are available to kids at Code Ninja Dojo's (all honouring covid safety requirements). The franchise is headquartered in Pearland Texas and has locations through the US, Canada and the UK.

Yet what really inspired me was the association @Codeninjas_burlington had with Big Brothers and Big Sisters (BBBS). Ian told me how BBBS embraced the opportunity for little brothers and little sisters to engage in coding in a comfortable, fun way. I jumped at the chance to sponsor a little sister or brother (I'll find out which when they email me with notification of their first completed project!). The cost was minimal, allowing a young child to learn a critical skill for their future.

The other inspirational factor was that 40% of the Ninjas in this Dojo were girls. The percentage is much higher than the greater Computer Science population generally at 15-20%. So young girls can learn much needed coding skills while connecting with others in a comfortable environment.

A week ago (as of writing), I published a LinkedIn post on how various organizations are "Teaching Kids About Teaching Artificial Intelligence...about Bias". Groups like Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) and the MIT Media Lab have created programs to address issues like bias so that the next generation of 'techies' build in viable ethical and responsible AI rules and logic into their algorithms. The response to the article was phenomenal (over 3,000 views in a few days) illustrating the level of interest the global community has in leveraging artificial intelligence but not at any cost.

Starting at the beginning with coding that's fun is a great idea for our global youth. Who knows...It may be one day that a Code Ninjas Black Belt ushers the world into new ethical and responsible AI guidelines and methods.

Many thanks to Shauna & Ian Chan. Keep doing what you're doing! To my network, consider reaching out and giving to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters community to help them learn these vital career skills.

Code Ninjas Burlington is located at 3410 Mainway , Burlington, ON L7M 1A8

#codeninjas #technology #learningtechnology #codingskills

Brian Lenahan is the author of four Amazon-published books on artificial intelligence including the Bestseller "Artificial Intelligence: Foundations for Business Leaders and Consultants". He is a former executive in a Top 10 North American bank, a University Instructor, and mentors innovative companies in the Halton and Hamilton areas.

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/brian-lenahan-innovation/