Local kids coding school hosts free STEM session and coffee morning for Putney parents
On Friday 24th June, local kids coding school Code Ninjas – based in the heart of the community at Putney Library – hosted a free coding and STEM workshop, so parents could get to grips with what it means to mod with Minecraft and build with Roblox.
During the free four-hour session, parents were introduced to the coding programme whilst being welcomed to socialise with other families. The coffee morning, hosted by Studio Director, Shivantika Pandey, was part of the business’s commitment to bringing the local community together through digital technology.
“We’ve been delivering our curriculum to the children of Putney since launching last autumn and have really enjoyed teaching our students – we call them Ninjas – new skills, like how to create their own video games, apps, drones and robots,” explained Shivantika. “We wanted to equip parents with the confidence and tools needed to also navigate digital technology themselves. It might even support those looking to get back into work, where computers and technology are so prevalent nowadays, if they’re thinking of going back after taking time out to raise a family.
“We were proud to welcome so many local families and introduce ourselves to the community!”
Shivantika believes that the gap in STEM skills comes from a generational lack of understanding about the benefits of game-building and coding for children. The young entrepreneur launched the coding studio last October following an internship at the United Nations before studying for a degree in International Politics. She’s pleased to be back in her community and making a difference on her own doorstep.
“It means so much to me that I’m able to make an impact locally – whether that’s for our Ninjas, their parents or visitors to the library. Giving back is a huge motivation for me and why I decided to launch Code Ninjas. With our first free coding coffee morning having been such a success, it won’t be long before we get another date in the diary!” explained Shivantika.
Local parent, Sumayyah Jivraj, went along with her son on the day and really enjoyed getting to meet other local families.
“We absolutely loved it! We were welcomed so warmly at the coffee morning. It can be so lonely sometimes, being a new parent, but to meet other families was so reassuring – we’re already looking forward to the next one. My son got to experience the Junior programme, and the staff played some fun games with him. I felt so comfortable there and would love to go back again. Thanks to the Code Ninjas Putney team.”
In the week following the event, and as part of Shivantika and her team’s commitment to the community, Code Ninjas Putney attended Mortlake Summer Fair, demonstrating some of their fun and immersive coding activities to local children aged 5-14.
“We were able to demonstrate just some of the activities we do in our studio – it isn’t just children sat staring blankly at a computer screen at Code Ninjas; we encourage our Ninjas to work together to create their own coding masterpieces! We’re looking forward to hosting our summer camps this year, which include daily and week-long sessions on all manner of subjects, from Modding with Minecraft to Become a YouTuber.”
For more information on Code Ninjas Putney summer camps, visit codeninjas.co.uk/putney-ldn-uk