Community Outreach

At Kai Coders, we are guided by the spirit of Aloha to make coding and computer science education inspiring and fun-filled. We are a small, woman, and minority-owned business, and take pride in creating a lively and inclusive space where kids in grades K-8 not only learn but also experience the joy of discovery.

Our high-quality instructors, inspired by the spirit of Aloha, lead programs designed to be both educational and enjoyable. We believe that learning should be an exciting adventure, fostering confidence and a love for learning.

But what truly sets us apart is our commitment to community outreach as a core value. We work closely with students and schools to develop projects that are not only aligned with their interests but also meaningful and relevant to their lives and communities. These projects serve as a bridge between education and community impact, instilling a sense of responsibility, civic engagement, and advocacy in our students. Our students have a voice!

Through collaborative projects that address students' interests, contribute to school goals, and positively impact the community, we ensure that our educational programs leave a lasting mark.

At Kai Coders, the spirit of Aloha is not just a guiding principle; it extends to our commitment to community outreach. Join us on this journey, where fun, confidence-building, meaningful projects, and community engagement are the cornerstones of preparing students for a future filled with possibilities.

Upcoming Events

2024 STEM Youth Congress

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We are beyond excited to be a participating STEM Learning Community of Practice group in the 2024 Virtual STEM Youth Congress!!

This is a unique individual STEM Leadership opportunity where youth have their ideas and solutions about real world issues listened to by global leaders and decision-makers.

Who: Students from around the world (6th-12th grade)
What: STEM Virtual Youth Congress where students will learn, design and share on one of four topics: Sustainability, Tech for Good, Aerospace Engineering or AI. Also includes two amazing speakers: Megan Smith!! (tech guru and former CTO of America, former VP of Google), Daisa Taylor (young STEM inventor)
When: 3 Saturdays (2 in Feb, 1 in March) ** Must be able to attend & participate in all 3 sessions **
- 1. Learning session: Saturday, Feb 3, 11:00-1:00
- 2. Design Session: Saturday, Feb 17, 11:00-3:00
- 3. Share session: Saturday, March 2, 11:00-1:00
Where: Virtual meetings
Why: An opportunity for our kids to make an impact and have their voices heard about real world issues

2024 Delaware Foodbank Student CANgineering

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Last year's student CANgineering event was such a big success, that the Food Bank of Delaware brought it back!

This is a unique team STEAM opportunity where youth have the opportunity to help provide food for people in our community, while also flexing the full range of STEAM disciplines - Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Kai Coders will help one local school class learn about coding and physical computing to turn their CANgineering structure into an interactive technical piece of art!

Who: Delaware schools
What: Foodbank of Delaware Student CANgineering program consists of the students running a food drive, then using the donated cans and boxes of food, design and build a structure. For inspiration, past examples of structures can be seen here.
When: See below for the timeline
- 1. Register your team: Friday, January 26
- 2. Pickup empty donation boxes: After Friday, January 2
- 3. Start your food drive and structure design: After Friday, January 2
- 4. Building period ends: Friday, March 15
- 5. On-site judging period: March 18-22
- 6. On-line judging period: March 25-29
- 7. Winners Announced: April 1
- 8. Food pickup: TBD
Where: On-site at school
Why: An opportunity for our kids to have a relevant and meaningful experience that directly impacts the local community while giving kids the opportunity to creatively collaborate on a STEAM project.

Past Events

2023 CodeMosaic

CodeMosaic was a collaborative effort between local non-profit LESI (Lazarus Education Services Inc) and Kai Coders. We developed an 8-week STEAM program designed for under-served children in Wilmington, Delaware's Eastside neighborhood. Students grades 3-5 met two hours each week, learning how to code, about circuitry and physical computing, and creating one-of-a-kind artwork that expressed their opinions on how to make their community a safer place.

A huge MAHALO!! to DFSME (Delaware Foundation for Science and Math Education) and to the City of Wilmington's Public Safety Department for providing grant money to make this vision a reality!!

Who: Students grades 3-5 in Wilmington's Eastside Neighborhood
What: In-person STEAM program
When: Fall 2023
Where: The Computer Lab in the LESI Building / Final Projects at the Wilmington Public Library
Why: To show local, underserved students that they are loved, valued, and welcome! We are teaching the joy and power of coding intertwined with art to encourage further learning, empower students to achieve and succeed in technology, and to grow youth advocacy.

2023 Soul of the City

Who would've thought that you can bring coding to a Community Block Party?! Kai Coders of course😁!!

We brought an interactive art piece created by 5th graders called Project L.E.O. (Love Each Other).

In celebration of May's Mental Health Awareness Month, students created large 16"x20" canvas art pieces with the them Love Each Other. Students designed their art installation with inclusivity and accessibility at the forefront of their design.

Some artwork were tactile, encouraging touching the art.

Ultimately all of the individual art pieces were wired together and made interactive. Touching small copper tape pieces triggered the kids voice recordings describing in detail their artwork.

The real fun of this piece? - Individuals must hold hands, or use a conductive material, to hear the various pieces talk. Kinda like Hands Across America from back in the day. We all have to be connected in order for the installation to work properly!

Who: Local 5th grade students
What: Interactive art installation, using mixed-media art, coding, wiring and circuity for a truly hands-on art experience.
When: Fall 2023
Where: Market Street in Wilmington, DE
Why: To showcase student work that brought together coding, computer science, and art in an exciting way!

2022-2023 Delaware Foodbank Student CANgineering - North Star Elementary

For the first time, the Food Bank of Delaware took its popular CANgineering competition and made it available for schools to compete!

The idea is for school students to hold a food drive, design a structure to build out of the donated cans and boxes and then build the structure for judging with the donated food then being distributed to people in need in our local community.

Kai Coders helped a local elementary school class take it to the next level! Students learned about coding and physical computing to turn their CANgineering structure into an interactive technical piece of art! The Food Bank judges marveled over the interactivity of the structure resulting in North Star Elementary's structure being voted as

"Most Creative". Even more important - the students raised over 800 pounds of food that went right to people in need in Delaware💓

Who: North Star Elementary School Students - 5th grade Talented and Gifted Program
What: Foodbank of Delaware Student CANgineering program
When: Fall 2022
Where: On-site at school
Why: An opportunity for our kids to have a relevant and meaningful experience that directly impacts the local community while giving kids the opportunity to creatively collaborate on a STEAM project.