It’s no surprise that the 2020-21 school year will be unlike any other. Whether classes are conducted entirely virtually, like most school districts in the Greater Madison area are planning, in person, or a hybrid model of in-person and virtual instruction, local students and teachers will be hard pressed to achieve a sense of normalcy this year.
For working parents of school-aged children who will be learning virtually this year, there’s the added pressure of trying to ensure your kids are keeping up with their education during the school day in a structured, safe environment that also motivates and engages.
Code Ninjas in Sun Prairie is offering a Power Up program beginning this fall for such families that is comprised of three main components: e-learning facilitation, hands-on STEM enrichment, and a supervised gaming club with activities such as Roblox and Minecraft.
JD Uhler, who co-owns Code Ninjas Sun Prairie with his wife, Jana, explains that in order to understand a world that is becoming more technologically advanced, we need coding. “Coding has been called ‘the literacy of the 21st century’ for good reason. There’s a huge need for a generation that not only understands technology, but how it works.”
According to Uhler, STEM activities teach children many valuable skills including confidence, problem solving, and logistical skills along with being resourceful.
Code Ninjas’ core program is coding, problem solving, STEM enrichment, and collaboration in the evenings and during summer camps. Uhler says they are bringing the same programming to the new Power Up daytime program, while also adding kids’ love of gaming to the dojos — their classrooms.
“We have added gaming laptops, esports, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, VR headsets, robots, and more,” says Uhler. “The gaming is adding a community center feeling to our center — a place where kids feel comfortable and can just hang out with kids their age with similar interests.”
The Power Up program itself is designed to get students out of the house, out of isolation, and into a distraction-free, school-like environment. With most school districts in the area going virtual this year, Uhler says Code Ninjas wanted to help busy parents keep their children motivated and engaged.
“Power Up provides e-learning facilitation, STEM enrichment curriculum, socialization, and full support and guidance from our teachers,” notes Uhler. “The human connection is incredibly important in these times and we provide that experience in a safe environment with state-of-the-art technology.”
Between Uhler and his wife, they have more than 40 years of experience in information technology and education. They decided to combine their passions and talents to open Code Ninjas in May 2019.
“Our teachers are called ‘Code Senseis’ and they have or are pursuing computer science, networking, or other technology degrees and/or have education licenses and degrees,” says Uhler. “Everyone at Code Ninjas is passionate about coding and STEM education.”
The Power Up program is for kids in grades 2–8, and siblings of members as young as kindergarten are allowed, too. The program provides e-learning facilitation to take the burden off of parents to make sure their kids are doing their virtual school. It also provides small class size STEM enrichment, which supplements the virtual school’s curriculum, as well as socialization in a safe place to meet new friends and have fun. “It’s like an after-school enrichment program but during the day,” notes Uhler.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and safety of staff and customers are a high priority, says Uhler. “We limit our class sizes to up to six kids in our two classrooms (12 total) with two Code Senseis. Masks must be worn at all times and we practice social distancing in our dojos with workspaces six feet apart. We provide hand sanitizer, encourage hand washing, and make sure kids stay home if they are sick or have symptoms. We always have the same kids coming to each session and use antivirus wipes and sprays after each use of our equipment, and we professionally clean our dojo weekly.”
For second to eighth grade, the program costs $320 per month for members and $360 per month for nonmembers for six hours per week. Code Ninjas Sun Prairie also has a sixth to eighth grade program for three hours per week for $170 for members and $190 for nonmembers, as well as evening programs like Junior or Create.
More information can be found at codeninjas.com/wi-sun-prairie.
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