During Summer Vacation, Coding Camps can be a Welcome Change of Pace

As students’ progress through each academic year, increasingly challenging material coupled with extracurricular activities can make summertime an especially welcome chance for them to relax and regroup.

With this in mind, signing your child up for a summertime computer coding camp may seem counterintuitive. You may say to yourself, “They don’t need more school. They need a break! Summer is for swimming and reading books by the pool, family vacations and camping trips in the mountains.”

But here at Launch, we believe it’s important for kids to have positive learning experiences all year round, not just during the school year. After all, a child’s brain doesn’t stop working and growing just because it’s summer. And for many kids who are used to being busy and stimulated during the academic year, summer can soon feel a bit slow-moving and (dare we say?) even boring after the novelty of being out of school has worn off.

Enroll your child in a summer coding experience like a week-long summer coding academy at Launch and your child will enjoy these benefits:

1. A chance to acquire valuable skills that could put him or her on the path to a rewarding career

Although trend-watchers predict that skills in computer programming will be increasingly in demand in tomorrow’s global economy, Code.org reports that only one in ten schools in America teaches kids how to code. A summer coding camp experience goes beyond traditional classroom learning to provide young people with the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get on a first-name basis with coding and computers, whether they’re learning about the syntax and structure of JavaScript or setting up and coding an HTML5 website. This experience can only benefit them as they grow older and begin deciding which career path is right for them.

2. Exposure to a positive peer group of like-minded kids who share similar interests and abilities
   A summer coding camp can be a source of invaluable positive peer pressure for children. Unlike a traditional school, where kids are required to take a variety of classes, children attending a coding camp choose to be there, and their parents choose to send them there. Sending your child to a place where he or she will meet these students with similar interests—enrolled by other parents who, like you, see the importance of acquiring these skills—puts your child on the path to forming positive relationships with like-minded kids. And making more friends who care about learning is always a good thing.
3. A low-pressure learning environment featuring a curriculum that enables students to progress at their own pace

Because most summer coding camps do not take place in traditional classrooms, students can truly enjoy learning without worrying about grades. Many programs offer a self-paced curriculum that combines online lessons with in-person opportunities to ask questions in a supportive, non-competitive environment. This is a great way to learn!

4. The chance to build soft skills, such as self-confidence, independence, and adaptability

Attending a summer coding camp teaches kids a lot more than coding: They’re also building soft skills, such as self-confidence, independence, and adaptability. It can be challenging for anyone—child or adult—to start something new or walk into a room with all new faces. A summer coding experience can help kids learn how to step out of their comfort zone a bit to connect with others in an unfamiliar space. These skills will serve them well in a variety of situations throughout life.