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When it comes to preparing your kids for the future, there are few better ways than learning to code! Valuable, if not necessary in the 21st century, coding for kids helps them develop academically, building perseverance and organization, skills that can translate into a career. Here are the top 10 reasons why it’s so important that kids […]

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5 Reasons Your Kids Can't Miss Out on Learning to Code

It’s probably a question that has crossed your mind at least once: Why should my kid learn to code? From positive social change to acquiring lifelong skills, Director of Flatiron Pre-College Lyel Resner hosted a webinar to outline the benefits, which you can view here. Here are some of the top reasons your kids should be learning to code.

1. They will learn the language of transformational change

Take a moment to consider this fact: Of all the data produced in human history, 90% of it has been created in the last two years. So, what does this mean for your children’s future? Regardless of what type of career they land, tech has been woven into the fabric of every single industry — and it will only continue to become more integral with time. Whether your child wants to be a journalist, financial officer, fashion designer, or ER doctor, learning code will help them advance in ways they have yet to imagine.

2. It helps them to advance causes they care about

Even if your kid doesn’t want to become a computer scientist, gaining coding literacy will open myriad possibilities to act on their ideas. Learning to code is more than just sitting behind a screen and punching at a keyboard — in fact, movements for positive social change are one of the infinite uses of the medium. Consider Code for Good a scholarship competition at Flatiron School where teens innovated technology for everything from archiving Native American languages to detecting diseases in their early stages. When kids learn to code, they have the ability to leverage their newfound knowledge for change. And that means making the world a better place.

3. It explodes their sense of possibility

And we mean TNT, mind-blowing, explosion of possibility. Code is as much a mode of expression as oil on canvas or a pick on a guitar. It’s a medium that will tap into wells of creativity and analytical skills previously unknown to your child. Students feel empowered by the ability to build something of significance, and it gives them a different understanding of what exactly they’re capable of.

As Maya, a graduate of Flatiron School’s summer academy put it, “It is because of the course I took at Flatiron this past summer that I am now currently working toward a Computer Science Major at Pomona College. Flatiron showed me that being a developer lets me exercise both my creativity and coding skills, which is something I want to be doing for the rest of my life.”

Do you hear those fireworks? That’s your child’s mind expanding in a million colorful different directions.

4. They will learn to learn

If the proliferation of smartphones in the past few years has proven anything, it’s that technology does not stand still. As things continue to quickly evolve, one of the most necessary life skills to thrive in the 21st century is learning how to learn. As your kid learns how to code, they will learn how to be comfortable with uncertainty. They will learn how to be comfortable with failure. They will learn how to follow the bread crumbs to a solution. Most importantly, they will learn how to learn. That is an invaluable life skill that your kid will carry with them for life.

5. They’ll make lifelong friends and build a strong sense of community

Instructors at Flatiron School give high school students adult material because they know setting the bar high means they will rise to the occasion. It also means they are more likely to forge strong bonds with their peers as they work collaboratively to problem solve. Joining forces with a diverse group of people will help your child develop a heightened level of empathy — and that translates into deeper connections and better ideas. Students who are exposed to fellow dreamers leave with friends for life, and maybe someone to bounce their coding ideas off of as well.

Download our free ebook to find out more about how learning to code will benefit your child.