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
Beginner Kids After-School Coding
The first kids coding experience is pivotal as beginners will quickly decide if they are interested in continuing. They need to be challenged at the perfect pace, with the support necessary to overcome challenges. It requires structure to learn the fundamentals, but enough flexibility to have fun bringing their own creative ideas to life.
Most Breakout Mentors 8 to 11 year-old beginners start with the drag-and-drop coding language Scratch. Kids are able to make fun games right away while mastering the fundamentals. Many older kids are interested in immediately jumping into a language with typed code, like Python or Java. We start with a series of small projects to establish the basics. Students quickly progress to making games like Pong, Breakout, and Space Invaders with their own creative features.
Regardless of the programming language, Breakout Mentors goes beyond tutoring – our mentors constantly adjust the difficulty to be just right. Kids are able to advance at their own pace, always challenged and having fun.
What parents say…
Both our sons have mentors and we’re very happy with the personalized approach for each. The younger is learning Scratch and older Java. Both boys were interested in coding for a while and did several summer camps, but we were aimed to continue learning during the school year. We also needed help channeling their interest into a more focused direction with goals and milestones. Breakout Mentors has exceeded our expectations, providing engaging instruction that challenges them. The boys take pride in their projects and continue to have fun!
Father of 3rd & 5th grade boys in Palo Alto
The mentor focuses on teaching my son to think, not just follow. Software conventions, and reasons behind them, are developed with an understanding of their purpose, not just ‘do it this way because I said so’ mentality. In addition, the mentor encourages my son to check documentation for answers and find solutions that make sense for the project. My son feels proud of the work he completes and is motivated to work on his projects independently between sessions!
The mentor has done a great job, both in teaching my son and building a relationship with him. They are very comfortable with each other, which I think has played a significant role in my son’s enthusiasm towards the weekly session. The move to Unity for 3D gaming has produced a significant leap in his independence and his ability to use the skills taught to him using Python and C++.
What students say…
