METAIRIE, La. – Two local business owners believe that video games can be both fun and educational. So on Tuesday, Oct. 1, they will open a Code Ninjas learning center in Metairie (3501 Severn Ave., Ste. 5B) and teach children computer coding and problem-solving skills, while building video games.
Code Ninjas Metairie, owned and operated by Victoria Runge-Segreto and Susan Hackett Walpole, will also host a grand opening event on Saturday, Oct. 19, complete with a ribbon cutting, tours of the new facility, and raffles, along with a variety of STEM activities and games for kids.
“We’re very excited to play a role in shaping the future of the next generation,” said Runge-Segreto, who has a background in business and management. “Code Ninjas will allow the kids in our community to discover a passion for technology and coding in an environment where they can socialize, collaborate and be creative with STEM education.”
Code Ninjas founder and CEO David Graham is a professional software developer who previously owned a successful chain of coding camps for adults. He launched the Code Ninjas brand in 2016.
While focused on STEM education, 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 the coding and problem-solving skills they’ll need for the jobs of the future.
Code Ninjas accomplishes this with a game-based curriculum made up of nine belts, just like in martial arts. The curriculum is self-paced, but not self-taught; children receive hands-on help and encouragement from “code senseis” and fellow students, as they advance from white to black belt.
Participants stay motived by 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. For more information about the Metairie Code Ninjas, visit https://www.codeninjas.com/locations/la-metairie.
