Totally Boise Blog

School is in full swing and while it can be a relief to have your kids back in the classroom, finding something to keep them entertained after hours can be tricky. That’s where iCode Boise comes to the rescue.

Newer to the Treasure Valley iCode Boise offers Computer Science education for students K-12 in a fun and highly interactive way! As being somewhat technology savvy ourselves, Totally Boise got the chance to get a crash course in what an after-school program looks like at iCode Boise.

iCode Boise Computer Science Curriculum

Using a belt program, much like martial arts, iCode creates levels for students that allow room for continuous growth. Leading Totally Boise through some of the lessons were instructors Jack Foxcroft, and Victoria Sabus, and School Director, Alison Lark.

Creating Robots, Programming, & Friendly Competition

As someone who is not familiar with coding, this was super exciting to learn more about. I learned that iCode Instructor Victoria competed in robotic competitions for years with a medal.

From start to finish, students can build a robot, and depending on the functions they want to acquire, they can use a programming platform to cue the robot into specific tasks. The robot the Totally Boise Crew got to play with was capable of identifying green tape within a blue square box, cool huh? Alison explained that this part of the curriculum is fun because it can be coordinated in different ways –– individually, in groups, and even as competitions.

Flying Drones

A kid’s favorite and parents' worst nightmare at home is a drone. iCode Boise teaches students how to properly fly drones so that you don't have to!

3D Building & Printing

3D printing was so fun to watch! Initially, Jack started us off easy and showed us how to make a pawn using the 3D printer. Through an online program, using 3D shapes, students can build anything from houses and cartoons, to whatever their imagination allows them to create. While our pawn took a total of 20 minutes, other prints can require hours to print depending on what is designed.

What these three programs teach kids, is not only advanced technology skills that are highly useful, but they are inadvertently teaching kids fundamental skills including:

• Problem-solving
• Collaboration
• Team Building
• Creativity

iCode Boise Flexible Times

Aside from the stellar curriculum iCode holds, is their flexibility to families and their schedules. Parents can choose times for the after-school program that fits their schedule best. iCode's goal is to provide amazing hands-on learning for students while giving parents flexibility in scheduling. A variety of programs are offered between 4-8 pm Monday through Thursday, plus special events are held throughout the month.

Becoming an "iCode student" for a day really opened my eyes as to what the future holds for kids. iCode Boise offers unique opportunities for kids to really excel and explore technology as we enter a technology-based society. While gaming, flying drones, programming, and 3D printing is extremely fun, iCode Boise properly teaches students the ins and outs of computer science which in return allows them to grow educationally and comprehend technology.

Register your child for iCode Boise's after school program here:

Phone: 208-537-7735

Address: 4940 E Mill Station Dr., Suite 103, Boise

Read more about iCode Boise here: