In the Lego Movie, the protagonists are “master builders” — enlightened blockheads with a superior understanding of how the tiny pieces of their plastic world fit together. This special knowledge allows our mini heroes to, for example, solve a thorny plot problem by taking a car apart and reconfiguring its pieces to build a rocket. The moral of the story? Knowledge is power, and power can be taught.

Knowledge is power, and power can be taught.

In our world, young innovators make decisions everyday that impact people’s lives. These innovators often share two tendencies: 1) a solid belief in their own ability to create change in their environment, and 2) a basic understanding of how code works. We know how young innovators do it. The question is, how we do pass on that knowledge to more young people? Here’s one suggestion:

Teach computer science skills — to all students — starting at an early age. “The kids of today tap, swipe and pinch their way through the world. But unless we give them tools to build with computers, we are raising only consumers instead of creators,” says programmer Linda Liukas [TED Talk: A delightful way to teach kids about computers.]

There’s a huge demand for programmers in the workforce. Yet the benefits of teaching every kid to love computer science goes beyond future career opportunities. “Everyone deserves a chance at learning about technology innovation,” says Kimberly Lane, a programmer, teacher and TED-Ed Innovative Educator in Texas. “We live and breathe technology everyday,” adds Lane. “If the current generation doesn’t leave a lasting legacy of technology inventions, what will happen to the generations to come?”

When you teach computer skills to every kid, it has a ripple effect. Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, notes that when girls learn programming skills, they become change agents. “If you look at the projects they create in our programs, you can see that they’re thinking about how they solve the most urgent problems in their communities,” she says. “For instance, two of our Midwestern Clubs students designed a technical approach to detecting lead levels in water.” Meanwhile in Seattle, some summer program students designed a mobile app that shows LGBTQ+ community members where to find safe spaces near them in the event of harmful situations. “That’s what we mean when we say girls become change agents,” says Saujani. “They use technology to make their communities a better place.”

Ready to act on this idea? Here are 5 places where any kid can learn how to code.

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Art credit: iStock

“The kids of today tap, swipe and pinch their way through the world. But unless we give them tools to build with computers, we are raising only consumers instead of creators,” says programmer Linda Liukas. That’s why parents and teachers should introduce coding as a creative act — a playful form of making that requires imagination, bravery and perseverance. Ready to teach your kids how to code? Here are 5 great places to start.

1) Hello Ruby
Hello Ruby is a whimsical website (and book!) created by Liukas to explain programming fundamentals to kids. The detailed lesson plans are appropriate for kids 5+.

2) Code.org
Code.org teaches students the basics of programming through a free series of guided exercises — and is one of several resources on this list to be recommended by the TED Technology Team. To bring coding into your classroom, check out the Hour of Code model.

3) Scratch
Created and maintained by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT’s Media Lab, Scratch is a both a programming language and an evolving community of young coders. To get started, dive into these resources.

4) Girls Who Code
Will the next generation of computer scientists include more Ada Lovelaces? Yes, if teachers and parents inspire more girls to start coding — and to embrace risk. “Most girls are taught to avoid risk and failure,” says founder Reshma Saujani. “Coding is an endless process of trial and error.” Learn more about the Girls Who Code curriculum here.

5) CS Unplugged 
Even a Waldorf school can get excited about these computer science teaching tools. “CS Unplugged has activities you can do without a computer to teach programming fundamentals,” says Liukas.

Image credit: Celeste Lai/TED-Ed

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