The term coding environment usually refers to what program you type your code into on the computer. It matters, but for kids the learning environment is more important.

The learning environment is your surroundings, including the people around you!

Supportive

Coding can be hard – too often both kids and adults attempt to learn to code entirely on their own. Positive reinforcement goes a long way.

A one-on-one mentor is able to adjust the challenge to be perfect for each student. It is still challenging, but the student has someone to encourage them to keep going!

Physical Surroundings

The picture above is a 12 year-old Breakout Mentors student Galen meeting his mentor Dakota. They are at a quiet table on the UC Berkeley campus, surrounded by others studying.

Contrast this to the summer camp coding setup. A couple dozen kids, some who aren’t all that interested now focused. That can be fun, but hardly ideal for learning.

Ambitious

Learning requires pushing your comfort zone. Online tutorials are an excellent way to get exposure to concepts, but usually lack ambition.

What if a kid had someone sitting right next to them, who had been there, done that? Pushing at the perfect pace, sharing exciting possibilities, introducing large-scale fun projects.

Get Started Today

Don’t wait for the perfect time. Many kids are almost done with soccer (and we are likely to get backed up) – start now in order to make solid progress before the holidays. Schedule a time to discuss your son or daughter’s previous experience with Breakout Mentors Founder Brian Skinner.