There are many options for kids learning to code, Breakout Mentors is the most personalized and designed for long-term growth. Discover how your son or daughter will advance through consistent challenges from an impressive college instructor.
Each student is carefully matched with an exciting mentor who will customize the project-based learning. Our curriculum, constantly improved since 2011, is the perfect blend of structure and open-ended projects for independence and grit.
Hold a 90 minute session with the same mentor each week, fit conveniently into your schedule. Students keep advancing year-round at the perfect pace and are proud of the fun games and projects they create.
Hear From a Student
Advanced Computer Science For Kids Learning to Code
Many Breakout Mentors 5th grader students are too advanced for the typical kid coding classes and camps. They find each offering just goes over the same things, never advancing beyond the basics. Or when covering tougher material, it is in a cookie-cutter, plug-and-play manner.
Most kids who start with Breakout Mentors will first solidify their fundamentals through making games in Python or Java. Once they have mastered the basics, the sky is the limit. The one-on-one mentoring format is perfect for personalization and challenging advanced kids. Some Breakout Mentors students with the help of their mentor have focused on:
- iOS, Android, or web apps with complex backend functionality
- Unity for 3D game programming and Virtual Reality projects
- Arduino for circuits and Internet of Things projects
- Competition programming at USACO platinum level (see our USACO Competition Programming Academy)
- Low-level C programming to make own programming language and compiler
- Self-study for the AP Computer Science test (see our Computer Science Track)
- Data science projects using NBA and other sports data (see our Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Academy)
What exciting focus will your 5th grader dream up?
What parents say…
Breakout Mentors was exactly what we were looking for when our 11 year old son asked to learn programming. He connected quickly with his mentor, who has taught him things beyond our knowledge. After his last session, he tried to explain to me some aspect of the programming he just learned and then said ‘I feel so proud of myself.’ We are proud of him too and thankful for Breakout Mentors.
Father of 6th grade boy in Palo Alto
My son was interested in coding from a very young age. We have tons of books at home, however, only Breakout Mentors actually helped my son to build on his interest and develop some skills. The lessons are fun and introduce serious coding concepts in a way kids can grasp. My son started with making games in Scratch. Moving from little projects to bigger and more complex ones, he has learned the fundamentals and now is moving to Java. He shows me his work after each lesson since he is very proud of his accomplishments and can’t wait to show them off.
My son loves video games and says he wants to create them when he’s older. We’ve sent him to many summer camps to learn beginner coding. Though he enjoyed them, he basically played video games all day. With Breakout Mentors he is finally actually learning, rather than just playing. I know the mentor is channeling my son’s excitement about computer games in a productive way. My son always looks forward to meeting his mentor.
What students say…
