The past half-year has showcased the dedication of the Code Ninjas community with inspiring stories of growth and accomplishment, including a rise in the number of ninjas earning their black belts nationwide.
Since its inception in the UK in 2019, Code Ninjas has been at the forefront of empowering children with essential coding skills in a fun and engaging environment. For teams across the country, 2024 began with high hopes, and the first six months have exceeded expectations, thanks to the remarkable ninjas – what Code Ninjas affectionately call their students – achieving new feats and pushing their boundaries.
“It’s been a fantastic year for our ninjas,” said Bill Marsland, Director of Education at Code Ninjas. “With many reaching new milestones, creating innovative games and projects, and attaining the prestigious black belt status in our nine-belt programme, 2024 is certainly turning out to be one for the history books.”
One location that has witnessed this success firsthand is Code Ninjas Newbury, which has celebrated the achievement of two new black belts this year alone, its third year since opening its doors.
“As we celebrate three years of igniting young minds, I’m so proud of how far we’ve come,” said Marcus Brind, owner of Code Ninjas Newbury. “We’ve welcomed hundreds of children from the local community through our doors since we opened. It’s been incredibly rewarding to witness their confidence in their coding abilities and their communication skills come on leaps and bounds since they started coming to our sessions.
“As a testament to the success of our programme, we marked our third anniversary by sharing news of the very recent and significant achievements of two of our students in particular. Both Edward Terry, 11, and Charlie Fox, 15, who were awarded their coding black belts!”
Edward and Charlie have been attending Code Ninjas since it first opened and have successfully worked through the brand’s rigorous curriculum. They are now two of only four black belt ninjas in the country.
“We were absolutely thrilled to hear that he was the fourth ninja in the UK to achieve black belt status – he’s worked so hard to reach this goal,” said Charlie’s mum. “The best part about the whole programme is that he never feels like it’s a chore; he’s just having fun whilst harnessing a skill that I believe will support him throughout the rest of his formal education and into the workplace. Everyone is so very proud of him and the hard work that he has done. I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Celebrations were also in order at Code Ninjas Borehamwood when 12-year-old Aadil Onaolapo won this year’s Prodigy Program. In this year’s drone-themed game competition, Aadil stood out as the only UK student to earn an all-expenses-paid transatlantic trip to attend the Sky Elements Drone Light Show – wowing judges with his game creation, Overheat.
As the UK winner, Aadil watched his own design illuminate the night sky at the Sky Elements Drone Light Show during his free trip to Dallas, Texas. Marking the second win for Code Ninjas Borehamwood in the Prodigy Program, following the success of one of their ninjas in last year’s collaboration with Microsoft, Aadil’s success was an equally exciting time for the team.
“With his strong design mindset, Aadil showcased remarkable innovation and proved himself to be an adept problem solver,” said Meha Meghani, Co-Owner of Code Ninjas Borehamwood. “His unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries was evident throughout the project, and we couldn’t be prouder of his achievement.
“It was an incredible achievement for both Aadil and the Borehamwood team, especially as it marks our second Prodigy Program victory in two years! With two wins secured, we’re eagerly anticipating what lies ahead for our ninjas!”
As for the trip, Aadil found that his hard work and perseverance truly paid off as the place and people certainly did not disappoint. “Getting the chance to visit the US and attend the drone show was an awesome experience!” explained Aadil. “Seeing the technology firsthand has sparked my imagination and fuelled my passion for coding even more. I can’t wait to create more projects!”
With half of the year yet to go, Bill is excited to see what else the UK ninjas can bring for the rest of 2024. “I’ve loved hearing the stories of Edward, Charlie, Aadil and so many others this year,” concluded Bill. “In a rapidly advancing world, learning to code at a young age has never been more vital, and ninjas across the UK exemplify the potential we can unlock through early coding education.”
