"The Current" 2026 Summer Edition
- Deanna Bledsoe
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Issue No. 5
Aloha from Kai Coders — A Summer of Learning, Creating & Connecting
Our summer is off to a great start! Since wrapping up our spring programs, Kai Coders students and coaches have been presenting, building, coding, experimenting, learning—and sharing plenty of hugs along the way.
From students teaching educators at ISTE + ASCD 2026 to six weeks of summer camp, professional learning, new partnerships, and a brand-new Kai Coders camp, this summer reminded us that meaningful learning can happen anywhere.
Kids Teach the Teachers:
Junkyard Wonders at ISTE + ASCD 2026
Our Innovation team combined recycled materials, coding, circuits, art, and messages of kindness and belonging.
Before traveling to Orlando for their 90-minute presentation, students practiced sharing their projects at Family Fun Day at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science. Presenting to a smaller public audience helped them build confidence—and it showed!
At ISTE + ASCD 2026, six rising sixth- and ninth-grade students demonstrated their creations, explained their code, and answered questions from educators around the world.
We were especially honored when the CEO of ISTE stopped by our poster presentation—one of only a few student booths he had been encouraged to visit.
Our students weren’t just attending the conference. They were teaching the teachers!
From Classrooms to Camp
Wrapping Up a Wonderful School Year
Before summer began, we wrapped up during-school programs at Lewis Dual Language and Harlan, along with after-school programs at North Star, Maple Lane, and Warner.
From first-time Scratch coders to returning student leaders, students explored coding, circuitry, robotics, engineering, and interactive art—growing into curious and confident creators.
6 Weeks of Creative Summer Fun
Kai Coders offered six weeks of SmART Summer camps at Cab Calloway and Conrad Schools of Science, where campers explored coding, robotics, circuitry, interactive art, mythology, K-Pop, computer hardware, engineering, fort building, and more.
We especially loved welcoming back so many school-year students. Spending full days together brought joyful reunions, lots of hugs, and even more chances to see their creativity, humor, and leadership shine.
One of our students even surprised us with a handmade wooden LED Kai Coders sign that we absolutely LOVE!
💗 Coach Spotlight: Coach Eunha Park 🥖
Coach Eunha Park brings warmth, patience, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning to every Kai Coders program she teaches.
In addition to homeschooling her three sons and teaching with Kai Coders, Coach Park owns her cottage baking business, Nothing But the Bread—making her our resident chemistry expert when it comes to all things sourdough!
Whether she is helping a camper debug a project, connect a circuit, or try something new, kids love her calm, approachable teaching style. And yes—her artisan bread and cinnamon rolls really are as delicious as they sound!
Mahalo, Coach Park, for sharing your many talents with our students and our Kai Coders ‘ohana!
Try This at Home: Balloon Bread Science
Can yeast inflate a balloon?
You will need an empty plastic bottle, one packet of active dry yeast, one teaspoon of sugar, approximately ½ cup of warm—not hot—water, and one balloon.
Pour the water into the bottle. Add the sugar and yeast, gently swirl the mixture, and stretch the balloon over the bottle opening.
Place the bottle somewhere warm and observe it for approximately 10–20 minutes.
What is happening?
The yeast uses the sugar and releases carbon dioxide gas. The gas begins filling the balloon. Similar gas bubbles become trapped inside bread dough and help it rise. Sourdough is more complex because it uses wild yeast and helpful bacteria, but carbon dioxide still plays an important role.
Ask your young scientist:
What changed first?
What is filling the balloon?
What might happen without the sugar or with colder water?
Adult supervision recommended. Please do not drink the mixture.
We're Learning, Too!
At Kai Coders, we believe great educators never stop learning. This summer, our coaches are exploring new ideas in AI, robotics, hands-on learning, and STEM education.
One message keeps standing out:
Technology is not the endpoint—it is a tool for making learning more meaningful.
We can’t wait to bring what we’re learning back to our students!
Looking Ahead
We’re ending summer with STEAM Quest Lab, a brand-new camp combining Science Olympiad, Odyssey of the Mind, and Kai Coders! From August 24–28, students entering grades 2–5 will take on science challenges, creative builds, teamwork activities, and coding projects. Space is limited to just 12 campers, so early registration is encouraged.
We’re also planning our 2026–2027 programs, preparing for upcoming community events, and celebrating our amazing coaches and teaching assistants. We hope to see many of our Kai Coders families while we’re out and about in the community!
Until then, keep thinking, creating, and coding—with aloha.
~ Team Kai Coders
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