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Apps & programming
Tell a computer what to do and turn an idea into a useful program.
Tools: Python, Java or C++, depending on the course.
Example: A quiz, calculator or score tracker.
For students & parents
Your learning journey
Find your starting level and see how your skills can grow, from first programs to larger projects.
School ages 7–18 · College learners typically 18+.
Choose your starting point
Find your starting point
Choose your grade group and coding experience.
Your teacher will confirm the right course and pace at the free trial.
Explore the three stages below, or choose a grade group to see a suggested starting point.
Foundation · Building · Mastery
Choose a level
See what you can learn, build and try next.
Click a level below to open its learning path.
Grades 2–5 · Typically ages 7–10
Master the basics
Start with Scratch, visual blocks and simple web pages. Move towards written code when ready.
WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL BUILD
- A game in Scratch
- A mobile app in MIT App Inventor
Your first coding concepts
Learn how a program works through small challenges you can see, change and explain.
- Sequences
- Algorithms
- Loops
- Conditions
- Events
- Debugging
- Block-based coding
- Real APK
What you'll explore in Your first coding concepts
- Sequences
- Put instructions in order: move, turn, then stop.
- Algorithms
- Make a clear plan for solving a problem, one step at a time.
- Loops
- Repeat an action, such as moving a character ten times.
- Conditions
- Make choices: if a player catches a star, add a point.
- Events
- Start an action when a button is clicked or a key is pressed.
- Debugging
- Find a mistake, change the code and test it again.
- Block-based coding
- Drag and drop visual blocks to make a working program.
- Real APK
- An APK is an Android app installation file. A suitable app project can run on a compatible Android device.
Create with visual tools
Drag-and-drop activities make room to focus on ideas and problem-solving.
- Scratch
- Code.org
- MIT App Inventor
What you'll explore in Create with visual tools
- Scratch
- Bring characters, stories, animations and simple games to life with blocks.
- Code.org
- Practise sequencing, loops and choices through guided coding activities.
- MIT App Inventor
- Design an app screen and connect buttons to actions using visual blocks.
Start with Scratch & web basics
Make a first project to feel proud of, then explain how you built it.
- Stories & games
- Web basics
- From blocks to written code
What you'll explore in Start with Scratch & web basics
- Stories & games
- Combine characters, movement, events and scoring in an animated story or game.
- Web basics
- Explore headings, pictures and colours while creating a simple first web page.
- From blocks to written code
- Connect familiar coding ideas with short typed instructions when the learner is ready.
No coding experience is needed. Grade and age are starting guides; confidence and readiness help shape the activities.
For Grade 2, discuss a comfortable starting plan. The downloadable Junior syllabus is labelled Grades 3–5.
App installation depends on the project and device. Publishing in an app store is a separate step.
Starting point: No coding experience needed. Start with visual blocks and small challenges.
Grades 6–8 · Typically ages 11–13
Code apps, websites & games
Choose apps, websites, games or robotics. Learn to plan, build and test a working project.
WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL BUILD
- A personal website
- A 2D game
- A robotics bot for competition
App development & programming
Build programming skills through useful tools, interactive windows and creative drawings.
- Python
- Java
- C++
- C
- Tkinter
- Turtle
What you'll explore in App development & programming
- Python
- Use variables, choices, loops and functions to build quizzes and useful programs.
- Java
- Explore structured programs and objects through practical coding tasks.
- C++
- Develop programming logic with functions, collections and problem-solving exercises.
- C
- Build a foundation in variables, control flow, functions and how programs handle data.
- Tkinter
- Add windows, buttons and input fields to a Python desktop application.
- Turtle
- Draw shapes and patterns with Python while practising movement, loops and coordinates.
Web development
Create a website people can open in a browser, then make it interactive.
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
What you'll explore in Web development
- HTML
- Give a page its headings, text, images, links and forms.
- CSS
- Style colours, spacing and layouts so pages work on different screen sizes.
- JavaScript
- Make buttons, quizzes and other parts of a page respond to the user.
Game development
Combine characters, movement, rules and scores in a game you can play and improve.
- PyGame
- Godot
- Unity
What you'll explore in Game development
- PyGame
- Use Python to create a game window, move objects and respond to player input.
- Godot
- Build game scenes and connect characters, controls and game logic.
- Unity
- Explore a game engine for interactive 2D or 3D projects suited to your experience.
Robotics & design
Connect code with circuits, sensors and movement. Try an idea in a simulation before building it.
- Arduino
- Tinkercad
What you'll explore in Robotics & design
- Arduino
- Program a board to read sensors and control lights, motors or other components.
- Tinkercad
- Explore 3D design and simulate circuits to see how a physical project could work.
US-based robotics competitions
Explore FIRST LEGO League (FLL) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), programmes from US-based FIRST with teams worldwide. Find a team challenge that fits your learner.
- FIRST LEGO League (FLL)
- FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
What you'll explore in US-based robotics competitions
- FIRST LEGO League (FLL)
- Explore teamwork, design and coding through LEGO robotics challenges.
- FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
- Design, build, program and test a team robot for a challenge. Check the current age and team requirements.
Introduction to DSA
DSA means data structures and algorithms: ways to organise information and solve a problem.
- Data structures & algorithms
What you'll explore in Introduction to DSA
- Data structures & algorithms
- Start with lists, arrays, simple searching and sorting, then compare how different solutions work.
Choose the tools for your selected track. App, web, game and robotics projects are different directions to explore.
New to coding? Begin with an introduction suited to your age before moving into a specialist project.
Competition preparation is optional. Confirm current availability, age requirements, equipment, team arrangements and costs with the academy.
Starting point: Basic coding ideas help. Beginners can start with an introduction for their age.
Grades 9–12 · Typically ages 14–18
Engineer your tech future
Develop a project in AI, data or full-stack development. AP Computer Science preparation is another option.
WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL BUILD
- An ML-powered app
- A full-stack web app
- An AI chatbot
AI, machine learning & data science
Use Python to explore information, create charts and test models that learn patterns from examples.
- AI & machine learning
- Python
- NumPy
- pandas
- Matplotlib
- scikit-learn
- Google Colab
What you'll explore in AI, machine learning & data science
- AI & machine learning
- Explore how models use examples to make predictions, then check how well those predictions work.
- Python
- Bring programming fundamentals into data analysis and machine-learning projects.
- NumPy
- Work with arrays of numbers and calculations used in data and scientific computing.
- pandas
- Organise, clean and explore information stored in tables.
- Matplotlib
- Turn data into charts so you can explain patterns and compare results.
- scikit-learn
- Train and evaluate machine-learning models with Python.
- Google Colab
- Use Python notebooks in the browser to combine code, explanations and results.
Generative AI & LLM APIs
Explore how applications can use AI-generated responses, and learn to check their accuracy and usefulness.
- Generative AI
- LLM APIs
What you'll explore in Generative AI & LLM APIs
- Generative AI
- Try models that generate content from prompts and compare their outputs against your task.
- LLM APIs
- Connect an application to a large language model service and test the responses it returns.
Full-stack engineering: frontend
Build the part of an application people see and interact with, using your HTML, CSS and JavaScript foundations.
- Bootstrap
- jQuery
- React
- Next.js
- Tailwind CSS
What you'll explore in Full-stack engineering: frontend
- Bootstrap
- Use ready-made components and a responsive grid to build polished layouts quickly.
- jQuery
- Simplify DOM manipulation, events and animations with a lightweight JavaScript library.
- React
- Create reusable interface components and manage what changes on the screen.
- Next.js
- Build React applications with pages, navigation and server features.
- Tailwind CSS
- Use small styling classes to build responsive layouts and consistent interfaces.
Full-stack engineering: backend
Choose a server technology to handle requests, run application logic and connect to stored information.
- Python
- Node.js
- Flask
- Django
- FastAPI
- Java
What you'll explore in Full-stack engineering: backend
- Python
- Write server-side scripts, automate tasks and power Django, Flask and FastAPI backends.
- Node.js
- Use JavaScript on the server to build application services and APIs.
- Flask
- Build a Python web server with routes and application logic.
- Django
- Build a Python website with pages, forms, a database and user accounts.
- FastAPI
- Create Python APIs with clear request data and response formats.
- Java
- Apply object-oriented programming to server applications and backend systems.
Full-stack engineering: databases
Give an application a way to save, find and update information. Select a database that suits the project.
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- MongoDB
What you'll explore in Full-stack engineering: databases
- MySQL
- Store related records in tables and retrieve them with SQL queries.
- PostgreSQL
- Use a relational database to organise application data and write SQL queries.
- MongoDB
- Store and query data as documents with fields suited to the application.
Tools for building & sharing
Track changes, test connections and make your project easier to run and explain.
- Git
- GitHub
- Postman
- Docker
- Vercel
- Hugging Face
What you'll explore in Tools for building & sharing
- Git
- Record changes to your code and work with different versions of a project.
- GitHub
- Store and share Git projects, collaborate and present your work.
- Postman
- Send requests to an API and inspect the responses while testing an application.
- Docker
- Package an application and the environment it needs into a container.
- Vercel
- Deploy your web applications quickly and easily to share them with the world.
- Hugging Face
- Explore, use, and share machine learning models and datasets.
AP Computer Science & college credit
Prepare for AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) or AP Computer Science A (AP CSA). Qualifying exam scores may earn college credit or advanced placement, depending on each college's policy.
- AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP)
- AP Computer Science A (AP CSA)
What you'll explore in AP Computer Science & college credit
- AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP)
- Explore programming, algorithms, data, computing systems and the impact of computing.
- AP Computer Science A (AP CSA)
- Develop Java programming skills through code design, objects, control flow and data collections.
DSA & competitive programming
Develop solutions you can explain, test and improve as problems become more demanding.
- Data structures & algorithms
- Competitive programming
What you'll explore in DSA & competitive programming
- Data structures & algorithms
- Study how to organise data, search and sort it, and compare the efficiency of solutions.
- Competitive programming
- Practise solving programming challenges with clear reasoning, test cases and time limits.
School and college learners choose separate courses based on their starting skills. Older beginners can build the foundations at an appropriate pace.
Choose a specialism and add tools as the project needs them. Each course follows its own syllabus.
Confirm AP preparation and exam arrangements with the academy and your school. College credit or placement depends on exam results and each institution's policy.
Starting point: Check the programming skills needed for your chosen course. Beginners can build those skills first.
What do the coding words mean?
Coding means giving a computer clear instructions. Here are the ideas children practise first.
- Sequence
- Put steps in the right order: move, turn, then stop.
- Algorithm
- Make a step-by-step plan to solve a problem, like instructions for a game.
- Loop
- Repeat an action, such as moving a character ten times.
- Condition
- Make a choice: if the player touches a wall, stop.
- Event
- Start an action when something happens, such as a click or key press.
- Debugging
- Find a mistake, change the code and test it again.
- Block coding
- Snap visual instructions together before writing more code by typing.
- Real app / APK
- Make a useful program. An APK is a file used to install an Android app.
Apps, web, games, robotics or AI — what is the difference?
Each track teaches the tools needed for its projects.
Web development
HTML gives a page its content, CSS controls its appearance, and JavaScript makes it respond to people.
Tools: HTML → CSS → JavaScript; later React and Next.js for more complex interfaces.
Example: A personal website or an interactive project gallery.
Game development
Create characters, rules, movement and scoring, then test whether the game works as intended.
Tools: PyGame, Godot or Unity, chosen to suit the project and experience level.
Example: A maze, platform game or simple puzzle.
Robotics & design
Connect coding with circuits, sensors and physical actions. Simulations help learners try ideas before building.
Tools: Tinkercad for design and circuit simulations; Arduino for electronics projects.
Example: A sensor-controlled project or a robot for a suitable FIRST LEGO League (FLL) or FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team challenge.
AI & data science
AI means artificial intelligence: computers doing tasks such as recognising patterns. Machine learning (ML) is one approach, where a model learns from examples. Data science explores and explains information. Predictions can be wrong, so testing matters.
Tools: Python; pandas to organise and analyse data; scikit-learn for machine-learning models.
Example: A data chart or a small prediction project.
Full-stack engineering
Connect the part of a website people see with the server that handles requests and the database that stores information.
Tools: React/Next.js for the interface; Java, Node.js, Django, Flask or FastAPI for server work; MySQL for stored data. Each project uses a suitable combination.
Example: A library tracker or a website with saved user information.
Git & GitHub: Record changes, share code and work with others.
What are FLL and FTC? Are competitions compulsory?
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) are team robotics programmes from FIRST. Students design, code and test robots. Competition preparation is optional.
Ask about equipment, team requirements and availability.
Read about FIRST programmesCan AP Computer Science help with college credit?
AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) and AP Computer Science A (AP CSA) offer college-level learning while in school. Qualifying AP exam scores may earn college credit or advanced placement, depending on each college's policy.
Check a college's AP credit policyNot sure where to start?
Share your learner's age, grade and experience. We'll help choose a course.
Questions families often ask
Can older students start as beginners?
Yes. We choose projects and a pace for your age and experience. Learning the basics does not mean joining a younger group.
Will I learn every language and tool in this journey?
No. Choose a direction that interests you. Each course covers the tools and projects listed in its syllabus.
How long does it take to move to the next stage?
It depends on your starting skills and practice. Your teacher helps you decide when you are ready for the next challenge.