Do your students love solving puzzles? Are they natural leaders, or maybe just really good at giving instructions? Perhaps they’re drawn to hands-on projects, video games, or digital art. If so, they already have the building blocks to become great coders.
Coding isn’t just for tech enthusiasts; it’s for curious thinkers, creative minds, and problem-solvers of all kinds. And with National Coding Week coming up this September, there’s no better time to introduce your students to the fundamentals of programming.
A Legacy Left by a Woman in STEM
This September, National Coding Week turns twelve years old—but coding’s legacy is much older. In fact, the origins of coding date back to the 1840s, when Ada Lovelace developed the very first machine algorithm. A true woman in STEM, Lovelace was curious, creative, and thought about the world in a cross-curricular way. But the work she’s best remembered for all began with a question: What if numbers could represent more than just quantities? In exploring that idea, Lovelace proposed that a machine like Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine could process symbols as well as numbers—planting the intellectual seeds for what would eventually become programming languages and general-purpose computing.
But before she was the world’s first computer programmer, Lovelace was a girl encouraged to explore her passion for STEM. As we celebrate National Coding Week and remember her contributions, it’s important we also recognize the support and opportunities that led Lovelace to her achievements.
With a wild imagination, observational skills, and hands-on mentors who let her engage with the latest technology, Lovelace was able to become a pioneer. National Coding Week is about bringing those same opportunities to learners of all ages—whether they’re just beginning or building on prior knowledge. Introducing students to a variety of coding experiences helps spark their imaginations, strengthen their observational skills, and develop the kind of problem-solving mindsets that benefit them across subjects. With a diverse assortment of hands-on coding products, Pitsco offers student-approved ways to make abstract computer science concepts more concrete.
Coding Is the Key to Lifelong Learning
At its core, coding is a commitment to lifelong learning. This is true for a few reasons. First, coding combines problem-solving, creativity, and computational thinking—transferrable skills which people will use throughout their lives in hobbies, school, and jobs. When people become proficient in coding, they gain a myriad of technical and 21st century skills that will help them complete challenges and contribute to the betterment of society. But the learning goes beyond coding itself. Through collaborative, hands-on experiences like those offered by Pitsco, students also develop essential skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Second, coding empowers people to interact with—and shape—the digital world around them. From social media and communication to websites, video games, and digital art, the online landscape plays a constant role in our daily lives. Tools like Code Cube™ make this world accessible even to elementary students by integrating coding into their everyday curriculum.
This wearable coding device lets kids create pixelated art through programming, introducing STEM concepts such as cause-and-effect and if-then logic in a fun, hands-on way. By learning to code, children gain a deeper understanding of how digital systems work and how to engage with them creatively and responsibly. At the same time, adults benefit from staying connected to their children's learning and ahead of the technology it depends on—even as it changes.
Finally, coding is a versatile skill that applies across a wide range of career sectors. Its adaptability not only improves efficiency within existing roles but also helps create new opportunities as the workforce evolves to meet changing demands. For those who learn to code, this opens the door to greater workplace mobility.
Beyond offering a competitive edge, many coding solutions—like LUMA®, Seeker, and Mastery Coding™—integrate career-focused elements, allowing learners of all ages to explore how coding connects to both established and emerging industries. Whether someone is looking to shift careers in search of more meaningful work or simply wants to enhance their current role with technical skills, coding provides a chance to try something (and learn something) new.
Learn to Code in the Classroom
To connect with the digital world—and unlock the opportunities it offers—students need to speak its many languages. Just like in the real world, coding has different dialects. Python, Java, C++, SQL, and JavaScript each serve distinct purposes, from data management and automation to game design and robotics. This diversity makes deciding which programming language to learn a fun exploration in itself, and Pitsco offers a wide range of solutions to support every type of learner.
For younger students, platforms like Bee-Bot® and Blue-Bot® introduce the basics of onboard programming through tactile, screen-free exploration. Block-based coding tools such as LUMA®, Loti-Bot®, and Seeker give students the chance to experiment with logic and sequencing while supporting cross-curricular and career-focused learning. As learners advance, they can explore structured languages like C with the Arduino Education Student Kit or dive into JavaScript through Mastery Coding’s Intro to Game Development. Tools like Shape Robotics and Seeker also allow students to code in Python, while the Arduino PLC Starter Kit introduces industrial-standard languages like IEC 61131-3.
What makes Pitsco’s coding offerings stand out is their variety and relevance. Whether students are coding to build video games, program drones with DroneBlocks, explore sustainability with Twin Science’s STEM for Sustainability School Kit, or compete in esports through the USAEL Pathway Esports™ grades 3–5 and 6–12 programs, they’re gaining skills that translate directly to real-world applications. These tools help students connect academic concepts—like math and engineering—to meaningful challenges, fueling both career exploration and creative confidence. Even a simple lesson in block coding can spark a lifelong interest in STEM or unlock a new mode of personal expression.
Coding This Week – and in the Future
Coding has always been about imagining the possibilities of STEM—for computers and humankind. Ada Lovelace envisioned that one day, people could program machines to play music and chess. Now, they can. What might your students use coding to do?
Embrace what National Coding Week means to your classroom by having students learn some programming basics, write their own sequences, and investigate what problems can be solved using code. With projects that let them create their own solutions, and mentors to support their visions, kids are inspired to use technology for good.
For even more hands-on coding, explore our catalog featuring solutions for all grade levels.