Tag: coding for kids

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The Impact of AI on Coding: Why Learning to Code is More Important Than Ever

“Young students working on a coding project, exploring the intersection of AI and robotics at Zebra Robotics.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, automating tasks, and reshaping the way we work. As AI becomes more advanced, many people are asking: “What is the impact of AI on the need for coding knowledge?” and “Does AI make coding less necessary?” At Zebra Robotics, we believe that the rise of AI makes coding education more important than ever. Here’s why.

What is the Impact of AI on the Need for Coding Knowledge?

AI is undoubtedly changing the coding landscape, but it’s not replacing the need for coding knowledge—it’s enhancing it. Here’s how:

Coding as a Foundation for AI:
Understanding coding is essential for working with AI. Whether it’s writing algorithms, debugging AI models, or integrating AI into applications, coding remains a critical skill.

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement:
AI is a powerful tool that can automate repetitive tasks, but it still requires human oversight and input. Coders are needed to design, train, and refine AI systems.

New Opportunities in AI Development:
The rise of AI has created new roles in machine learning, data science, and AI ethics, all of which require strong coding skills.

 Does AI Make Coding Less Necessary? Are Coders’ Jobs at Risk?

While AI can automate certain aspects of coding, it doesn’t make coding less necessary—it shifts the focus of what coders do. Here’s why coders’ jobs aren’t at risk:

  • AI Can’t Replace Creativity and Problem-Solving:
    AI excels at common tasks, but it lacks creating custom solutions that is specific to a particular business problem, the creativity and critical thinking skills that human coders bring to the table are hard to be replace. Coders are needed to solve complex problems, design innovative solutions, and think outside the box.
  • The Human Touch in Coding:
    Coding isn’t just about writing lines of code—it’s about understanding user needs, designing intuitive interfaces, and creating meaningful experiences. These are areas where human coders excel.
  • AI Creates More Jobs Than It Replaces:
    According to the World Economic Forum, AI is expected to create 97 million new jobs by 2025, many of which will require coding skills.
“Zebra Robotics students celebrate their success at STRIPE competition, showcasing their coding and problem-solving skills.”

Why Learning to Code is More Important Than Ever

As AI continues to evolve, coding education becomes even more critical for the next generation. Here’s why:

  1. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving:
    Learning to code helps children develop essential skills like logical reasoning, algorithmic thinking, and debugging—skills that are crucial in an AI-driven world.
  2. Kids for Future Careers:
    Whether it’s developing AI systems, working in cybersecurity, or designing apps, coding is a foundational skill for many high-demand careers.
  3. Creativity and Innovation:
    Coding empowers children to bring their ideas to life, whether it’s creating a game, building a robot, or developing an AI-powered app.
  4. Resilience and Adaptability:
    In a world where technology is constantly changing, coding teaches children to adapt, learn new tools, and embrace challenges.
“The Zebra Robotics logo, representing our commitment to empowering the next generation of coders and innovators.”

Zebra Robotics: Preparing Kids for an AI-Driven Future

At Zebra Robotics, we’re committed to helping children develop the skills they need to thrive in an AI-driven world. Our programs:

  • Introduce kids to coding and robotics through hands-on, project-based learning.
  • Teach critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity—skills that AI can’t replicate.
  • Provide a supportive environment where kids can explore, experiment, and innovate.

The rise of AI doesn’t make coding less important—it makes it more essential than ever. By learning to code, children develop the skills they need to succeed in a technology-driven world, from critical thinking and problem-solving to creativity and innovation. At Zebra Robotics, we’re proud to empower the next generation of coders, innovators, and problem-solvers.


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Beyond the Rink and the Field: Why STEM Skills are a Winning Play for Your Child’s Future

British Columbia is known for its stunning landscapes and passionate sports culture. From cheering on the Canucks to watching kids score goals on the soccer field, sports play a vital role in our communities. But in today’s rapidly changing world, there’s another set of skills that are just as crucial for your child’s future success: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Why Sports Are Great AND Why STEM is Equally Important:

Young Innovator at Work: Hands-on with robotics and coding, igniting a passion for STEM from an early age

We understand the value of sports. They teach teamwork, discipline, physical fitness, and resilience. These are all essential life skills. But STEM education offers a complementary set of advantages that are equally important in the 21st century:

  • Problem-Solving: STEM teaches children how to approach challenges logically and creatively, skills that are invaluable in any field.
  • Critical Thinking: In a world of information overload, STEM empowers kids to analyze data, evaluate evidence, and make informed decisions.
  • Innovation and Creativity: STEM fosters a spirit of innovation and encourages kids to think outside the box, leading to new ideas and solutions.
  • Future Career Opportunities: The demand for STEM professionals is growing rapidly. By giving your child a STEM foundation, you’re opening doors to a wide range of exciting career paths.
  • Adaptability in a Changing World: The world is constantly evolving, and STEM skills help kids adapt to new technologies and challenges.
Exploring the world of robotics: A young creator fine-tunes his robot for a hands-on learning experience in problem-solving and innovation

How STEM Complements Sports:

STEM isn’t about replacing sports; it’s about providing a well-rounded education. Think of it this way:

  • Sports build physical strength and teamwork. STEM builds mental strength and problem-solving.
  • Sports teach discipline and perseverance. STEM teaches critical thinking and innovation.

By combining sports and STEM, you’re giving your child the best of both worlds: a healthy body and a sharp mind, setting them up for success in all aspects of life.

Zebra Robotics: Where STEM Comes to Life:

Bringing ideas to life: A budding engineer programs his robot for the ultimate test of creativity and functionality

At Zebra Robotics, we make STEM learning fun and engaging. Our hands-on programs in robotics and coding allow kids to:

  • Build and program their own robots.
  • Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
  • Collaborate with peers and learn teamwork.
  • Explore exciting STEM concepts in a supportive environment.

Just as you invest in your child’s athletic development, investing in their STEM education is an investment in their future. By embracing both sports and STEM, you’re giving your child the tools they need to thrive in the 21st century and beyond.

Visit our https://www.zebrarobotics.com/surrey to learn more about our programs and how we can help your child discover the exciting world of STEM!

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Franchisee Spotlight: Lavanya

Lavanya and her family.

In 2022, Lavanya became a Zebra Robotics franchisee, opening Zebra Robotics Brampton East centre in Ontario, Canada . She is a Senior Manager in Engineering by day and inspires the future leaders of STEM by night at Zebra Robotics. Lavanya is strongly backed by her husband Raghavendra and her two sons who stand by her and share the same values of making a positive impact in STEM education and their community.

Q: Could you tell us about your career prior to joining Zebra?

A: Before joining Zebra Robotics, I accumulated over 15 years of experience in delivery management, enterprise and solution architecture, and technical leadership. In my current role as a Senior Manager in Engineering, I oversee critical applications that support operations and ensure teams have the robust, reliable systems they need to deliver exceptional service. As an engineer myself, I recognize that technical skills alone are not sufficient for success. Therefore, I focus on fostering essential soft skills such as effective communication, teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability, leadership, time management, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, networking, and creativity. By instilling these skills in students, I aim to prepare them to become strong leaders in their respective fields.

Q: What sparked your interest in STEM education and business ownership?

A: Growing up, I was always fascinated by technology and how things worked, which led me to pursue a career in the STEM field. As I advanced in my career, I noticed a significant gap in resources and opportunities for underrepresented groups, particularly girls and children with visible and invisible disabilities.

After numerous years of volunteering for this cause, and feeling limited in making concrete progress due to changes in leadership and vision, I realized I wanted to take control over the impact I could have and create a lasting vision for significant change.

Becoming a business owner with Zebra Robotics allowed me to turn this vision into reality. It provided me with a platform to develop programs and initiatives that focus on accessibility, engagement, and fostering a love for STEM among students. Through my work, I aim to break down barriers and encourage every student to pursue their passions in technology and innovation.

Q: What are some aspects of Zebra Robotics as a company that led you to become Zebra franchise owner?

A: As a senior technology leader with a strong educational background in computer science and extensive experience in the software industry, it was crucial for me to choose an organization that prioritizes quality in its curriculum. I also wanted to focus on developing students’ interpersonal and essential skills, and the curriculum at Zebra Robotics meets all those needs.

As Peter Drucker once said, “Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.” This philosophy resonates with me, as Zebra Robotics not only aligns with university-level education but also reflects industry requirements, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future careers. The company’s vision of fostering a love for STEM and empowering future leaders further solidified my decision to become a franchise owner.

Q: What franchise support has been the most beneficial to you?

A: As an engineer at heart without a business background, the comprehensive training provided by Zebra Robotics has been instrumental in my development as a franchise owner. The numerous-hour coach training covered essential topics such as program offerings, curriculum development, classroom management, and the use of the student portal and learning management system. Additionally, as manager/owner, training focused on sales and customer engagement, corporate IT systems, and marketing techniques. This extensive training has equipped me with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively manage and grow my franchise.

Most recently, the franchise summit was a great addition to this experience, where we had the opportunity to learn collectively as a team from other franchise owners. It truly felt like a close-knit family that learns and grows together.

We wish Lavanya continued success as a Zebra franchisee and business owner! To learn more about Zebra Robotics franchise options, please visit our website.

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1500 Hours of complementary classes

1500 hours

Zebra Robotics is happy to reach a milestone of providing over 1500 hours of complimentary coding classes to students across Canada. Through a series of weekly and daily classes, students were introduced to variety of programming languages such as web design, game development, app development .

In these instructor led virtual classes, students get to try hands on activities on their computer from home. Weekly webinars introduced several technolgy topics to students. Some of these topics tool the students on a journey to learn what is inside a computer and understand how internet works.

“Community outreach has always been part of our growth” says Sharmila Govindarajan, Co-Founder of Zebra Robotics, “we are glad to be able to contribute positively to the society during these challenging times.”

“Providing same high quality program, in virtual class environment has been our focus. Several positive feedback from parents and students is reassuring for us” said Satish Thiyagarajan, Co-Founder of Zebra Robotics.

This news comes in the wake of many recent initiatives and accomplishments of the company, including:

  • Migrating 20 robotics and coding courses to be offered virtually.
  • Opening a new location in Cary, NC to cater to the US customers

“Best class ever” said Anokhi, one of the student who attended a Webinar session. ” It is a way to reach the students, and connect with them, given that we are all struck at home”, said Coach Tahmoor Naeem. “I found it hard to adapt to online teaching, as I am used to being in the classroom and teching kids how to build robots. But after couple of classes, we got into a rhythm, students and I learnt how to communcate without talking over each other, how to share screen when someone needs help”

“We are a nimble company with a proven curriculum, passionate and talented coaching staff” says Jayendra Balasubramanian, Co-Founder at Zebra Robotics. “Our team raised to the challenge and migrated all of our courses to be offered virtually in a matter of days in March, without missing a beat, thereby providing an opportunity for students to continue learning virtually”.

“Thanks to the support from the Government, we are able to sustain our operations during these tough times and set the stage for growth when we emerge out of this” says Sharmila Govindarajan.

About Zebra Robotics Inc.: Started 6 years back in Mississauga, Zebra Robotics has grown to operate in 4 locations, serving over 10,000 students, in Canada, US and India. Zebra Robotics students have won 47 awards in 67 competitions at various levels over the years. Knowledgeable instructors and an extensive course offering made in-house by our experienced and passionate staff with a visionary leadership team, sets up apart with a goal to mentor future generation. 

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Benefits of learning to code early

student coding intently

4 amazing benefits of learning programming at a young age

There’s no arguing that computer languages are the truly universal language of this age. Numerous projections also suggest that they would be at the forefront of future careers and innovation. If you want to set up your child for a lifetime of opportunities, it is vital to introduce them to coding at an early age. Here are four awesome benefits your child can derive from learning coding at a young age.

student coding intently
  1. Understanding the science behind technology

It’s one thing to know how to use smartphones and digital gadgets. Understanding the science behind them is another thing entirely. Coding exposes children to how smartphones, computers, toys, and other digital devices work, thus giving them the freedom to create their versions.

  • Learning vital computational skills

Computer literacy is already a must for anyone in this generation. In the coming generations, however, surface literacy will no longer be sufficient. Kids should not only know how to operate a computer but how to use it in developing solutions to complex problems. Learning no better way to develop this ability than through coding.

  • Facilitating creativity

Children are naturally curious and more inclined to think outside the box. However, the systems that surround most children suppress this flair as they grow up and blend into the environment. Solving problems through coding can help nurture their creativity right from an early age.

  • Preparing them for boundless opportunities

In the not so distant future, not knowing how to code may be synonymous with not knowing how to read. Reliable projections are already predicting that people with digital skills will dominate every area of the labor market. If you do not want your child to struggle with the works of the future, you should give them a solid foundation in coding from an early age.

If you are ready to take a giant step towards preparing your children for future success, you should consider any of our coding courses at Zebra Robotics. Our courses are aimed at kids from Grade 2 to Grade 12. Learning from fundamental concepts of coding using block-based interface to writing complex applications using Python, Java and other professional languages. The classes are tailored to give them the right foundation in coding, and our trainers have an impressive track record of working with kids and teens. Get in touch with us today, and we’ll be glad to link you up with a workshop or camp near you. 

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Want to learn real coding ?

As you might have heard, in the future there will be two kinds of people. One who knows to code and the rest who wish they know. There is a rush to learn and introduce kids to code at an early age. Major coporations like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook to name a few have invested several millions of dollars to get kids excited about coding.

CRoC Coding Hackathon
Croc COding Hackathon

But Why?

As per the authors of The Second Machine Age,  Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, Human development index has accelerated in the last few decades, and is on a vertical trajectory. It is mainly fueled by revolution in the Information Technology field. Coding has become mainstream and the need for everyone to know how to code will be considered an essential skill in the future.

Image courtesy: The Second Machine Age

Per a recent survey in North America, close a million jobs paying over $100,000/year will go unfilled with no qualifying candidates to choose from. That is a major problem for the coporations, as we are automating everything now, be it on the factory floor or legal work or shopping or even health care diagnosis. Coding, which provides Artificial Intelligence, powers everything. We need more people who can code.

But where do you start. I’d say ,start early and continue to learn through your life. Technology is changing at a rapid pace. What was revolutionary few years back is common feature few yers later. You want to keep yourself upto date.

Which course is right for my kid?

With so many places that teaches Coding, it can be a daunting task to choose the right place and correct coding language to start with. It is important to not get influenced by fancy jargons. Instead focus on choosing a programming language that is age appropriate. For example, when some one tells me that their Grade 4 kid knows Python, or Java becaue they learned from ‘that’ place, I am skeptical. Many places tell parents that their kid is learning to program in high level languages, when in fact they are using block-based coding, which creates Python or Java code behind it.

It is important for kids to learn the right way, and it helps if it is age appropriate. I know everyone’s kid is a little genius, but un reasonable expectation may dissuade that kid from persuing coding as they grow.

At Zebra Robotics, we always want to take our students to the level where they learn real programming languages as early as in middle school. Prior to that they focus on learning coding concepts in a fun way.

High school and middle school students learn real programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, C++ and other languages that provide solid foundation when students are ready for universities. Just as learning Math or music is not an one week activity, learning to Code isn’t either. Mastery of text based programming languages, trains your way of thinking and takes time. Thinking logically and troubleshooting eventually becomes second nature.

We hope you will be interested to learn to code. Call us or walk to one of our locations to try our courses. Who knows your student may fall in love with coding, as many of our students have discovered themselves.