New Montclair Learning Center Teaches Kids Computer Coding Skills

Montclair, NJ - Two local dads have embarked on a mission: to teach kids about coding, design-thinking and entrepreneurship.

That was the impetus behind Yukodit, a new learning center based in St. James Church on Valley Road that aims to “equip children of all ages and abilities with the technical and collaborative skills to succeed in their futures.”

Investment banking industry worker Mike Halbert - a Montclair transplant who relocated from London – said that the inspiration for the learning center came when he learned that most states, including New Jersey, “haven’t incorporated computer science into the learning standards that drive curriculum decisions in our public schools.”

"Given the array of tech start-ups coming out of places like New York and Silicon Valley, I came back to the U.S. thinking that our education system would be much further along in addressing this need," says Halbert.

The development of Yukodit took another step towards when Halbert hooked up with Jamie Pagliaro, another Montclair parent who has spent his entire career working in education, including a school he started for kids with autism in East Harlem and an educational technology company that now supports school districts nationwide.

According to Pagliaro, computer science jobs are among the fastest-growing in our economy, and there is already a major shortage in talent.

"Working at an ‘edtech’ company, I see first-hand the challenges with finding and retaining developers,” he said. “But when I also found out that girls and students of color were much less likely to enroll in computer science classes at both the high school and college level, and are grossly underrepresented in the job market, I knew this was a problem I wanted to tackle.”

The duo described their new learning center in a news release:

“Yukodit offers a fresh take on introducing kids to coding. As opposed to a class or boot-camp that promises to teach kids to code over a few short sessions, Yukodit places kids on a path where they learn not only the technical side of computer programming, but also design-thinking and entrepreneurship skills.”

According to the two dads, response to the program has been positive.

"Montclair is a community where people value creativity and innovation,” Pagliaro said. “As parents, we all want to give our kids an advantage and prepare them for the future.”

The Yukodit Learning Center is based in St. James Church of Upper Montclair at 581 Valley Road. Registration is open for summer and fall sessions. To learn more click here.

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