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Code Ninjas Brings Coding Skills To Kids, Opens In Vinings This Weekend

Say the words "video game" and your kids are bound to stop and listen. The local owners of a new Code Ninjas, a learning center that debuts on August 11 at 4691 S. Atlanta Road SE, Ste. 240, know that video games aren't only fun, but educational. Code Ninjas will serve the local area by teaching children computer coding and problem solving skills while having fun building video games.

The Smyrna/Vinings location is owned and operated by married couple and local residents, Darren, and Juanita Cato. Darren immigrated to the U.S. from St. Lucia in 2000 and has lived in the Smyrna/Vinings neighborhood for the last eight years. In college, Darren didn’t know what he wanted to study and was introduced to computer science when things just ‘clicked’ for him and graduated with degrees in math and computer science. Now he works for Oracle, where he’s been a senior software engineering manager for the last seven years. Juanita has spent much of her career in the education industry working in the Cobb County school system before retiring in 2010. A passionate educator dedicated to teaching lifelong learning, Juanita is looking forward to helping expand children’s minds through coding.

“Our 6-year-old son taught himself to read at the age of two by searching and playing computer games and
watching YouTube videos on his own. We want to foster his creativity and empower him to be a creator and not just a consumer. After discovering the Code Ninjas concept and how it can impact the lives of our children for the better, we knew this was a concept we wanted to bring to every single child in the Smyrna/Vinings community so that they can have this experience no matter their learning ability,” said Juanita. Atlanta area children ages 7-14 can look forward to visiting the new Code Ninjas center to learn how to code in a fun, safe, and social learning environment where gaming is celebrated, and STEM is cool. 

Everything about Code Ninjas is built around fun, which keeps kids coming back. But the center also provides the results that parents are looking for, as their children gain coding and problem-solving skills they’ll need for the jobs of the future. Code Ninjas accomplishes this with a robust, game-based curriculum made up of nine belts, just like martial arts. The curriculum is self-paced, but not self-taught; kids get immediate help and encouragement from Code Senseis and fellow students as they advance from white to black belt. The program keeps kids motivated with little wins along the way, and “Belt-Up” celebrations where they receive color-coded wristbands to mark their graduation to the next level. By the time a child finishes the program, they will publish an app in an app store.

Code Ninjas offers a variety of opportunities for children to get involved, including a flexible weeknight drop-in program, camps, and Parents Night Out events on weekends. Code Ninjas founder and CEO David Graham is a professional software developer who previously owned a successful chain of coding camps for adults. After numerous inquiries from parents, Graham realized there was an unmet demand to teach children coding skills. He launched the Code Ninjas brand in 2016.

“Parents want their children to learn the critical skills that they’ll need in the future, but it also has to be fun for kids. Code Ninjas has found that sweet spot where kids have fun and parents see results, and we’re truly excited to bring our unique concept to Smyrna/Vinings and surrounding communities,” said Graham.
 
For more information about the Smyrna/Vinings Code Ninjas location, please visit their website .
About Code Ninjas Founded in 2016, Code Ninjas ® is the largest and fastest-growing kids'` coding franchise in the United States. The Houston-based company is opening hundreds of centers across the country, where kids ages 7-14 learn to code by building video games, and parents see their children gain skills and confidence along their path from white to black belt. Code Ninjas: Kids have fun, parents see results ® .
For more information about opening your own Code Ninjas center, visit https://codeninjasfranchise.com.