Part of what we do at Hatch Canada is to make sure that our students enjoy learning the coding skills necessary to set them up for the future. We also keep in touch with parents who are just as excited as we are to see their child's development. We recently sat down with Amber who is a proud mom to 8-year-old coder, Reese.

Can you tell us a bit about Reese? What does Reese like to do in her spare time other than learning how to code?
Reese is your typical 8 year old. She loves sports (swimming, acro, cross country), acting, watching YouTube videos – especially Minecraft videos to get ideas for building her own world – and just hanging out with her friends.

Why do you think extracurricular programs are important?
Extracurricular programs are a great way to expose kids to things they may not get in school.  Not only do kids learn new skills, but they meet new people and have tons of fun.

Do you have any advice for other parents about how to find great programs that suit their kids’ interests? What do you look for in a program for Reese?
We limit the number of programs Reese takes part in, so we’re pretty choosy when it comes to the ones we sign her up for. I think the most important thing is that the program is something your child is interested in – something they are going to get excited about each week. A great teacher who is knowledgeable, supportive and kind; a well-run program is critical.  It’s also nice to have goals the kids can work towards – something they can look at and say: “Hey, I did that!”

How did you find out about Hatch Canada?
I first heard about Hatch from a friend whose daughter had been taking Hatch Prime classes for a couple of months. Our girls are good friends and Reese was excited to try something new with her bestie.

Why do you think it's important for children to learn about coding when they are young?
For our generation growing up, technology was a cool tool that we used. Even today, when you get the latest gadget, the first reaction is usually, “Wow, that’s amazing!” Then you go off and use it. But for today's generation, growing up in a digital word, technology isn’t just a tool; it’s part of their entire lives. So the opportunity is to figure out how and why something works; to question how to make something even better or to turn their ideas into reality. Coding is the start of this. It is the fundamental building block.

What do you hope for Reese as she continues growing up in this digital world?
I hope that she doesn’t take things at face value – to always question, to seek to understand how things work, to use her imagination to create something, to make something better.  AI, VR, 3D printing… it’s not the future, it’s here now!  We’re on the edge of the digital explosion and I hope that Reese is a part of where the world is going.

Amber really hit the nail on the head when she said we’re on the edge of a digital explosion. At Hatch Canada, we want our students to be prepared for this future. Thank you so much, Amber!

Do you think your child would benefit from coding and programming classes? Learn more about camps, weekly classes and after-school programs. Click here to find out if our programs are right for your child!

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