Code School

Code School addresses the global issue of inadequate coding education, creating a critical gap in essential skills for the 21st-century workforce. Traditional schools do not have good coding programs if any, affecting almost all of the 1.8 billion children in the schooling systems across the world.

The prevailing problem has two main challenges: the lack of schoolteachers proficient in programming and the absence of standardized curricula because this is a relatively new subject. Many schools and parents struggle to navigate this subject, because it is so new and they haven’t learned it themselves. The absence of coding education limits student potential, especially in the global south where there is a need to capitalize on the demographic dividend of countries with young populations.

According to a 2023 study, even in the world’s largest economy - China – a staggering 64% of schools do not offer programming education, leaving millions of students without access to coding literacy. In low and middle-income countries, the lack of resources and trained teachers exacerbates the problem, resulting in an even wider gap in coding education.

Code School democratizes coding literacy by offering affordable, live, online coding instruction for children worldwide. Our approach leverages the expertise of young programming graduates from the global south, ensuring high-quality instruction from primary to secondary schooling.

We've successfully tested our program with 1500 children in 19 countries, showcasing its effectiveness in providing accessible coding education. By democratizing coding education, we empower children, foster creativity, and prepare them for the digital era's demands. Code School isn't just about education; it's a movement revolutionizing coding education, ensuring every child thrives in the evolving landscape.

Here's how our solution works:

- Customer bookings: Parents log into our website, booking a month of classes for their child. They select their child's age, preferred day and time, and any programming language preferences. Code School then gathers a virtual or onsite cohort of students with similar requirements, assigns an instructor, and provides them with relevant coding materials and administrative support. We also offer performance reports to keep parents informed.

- School Integration: Schools can enter their curriculum or instructor requirements into our platform. We then provide relevant information to instructors and students, manage payments, track student progress, and issue performance reports. This seamless integration ensures that schools have access to the resources they need to enhance their coding education offerings.

- Instructor Recruitment and Training: Instructors apply onsite and undergo a rigorous recruitment process. Those who pass receive online training on pedagogy and the Code School curriculum. The platform collects their availability and provides monthly class information, including schedules, teaching materials, attendance records, and performance reports. Instructors can easily manage their classes and submit payment requests through the platform.

Through these use cases, Code School ensures that children worldwide have access to quality coding education, regardless of their geographical location or economic background. We're not just teaching coding; we're shaping the future workforce and empowering the next generation of innovators.

Code School serves children aged 6 to 16 globally, with a focus on underserved communities in the global south. Our target population includes students who currently lack access to quality coding education due to various factors such as resource constraints, a shortage of qualified instructors, and limited exposure to technology.

In many parts of the global south, coding education is a privilege rather than a standard part of the curriculum. Children from low-income families and marginalized communities are particularly underserved, as they often lack the resources to access coding classes or attend schools with qualified programming instructors.

Our solution directly addresses the needs of this target population by providing affordable, live, online coding instruction. By leveraging our expertise in identifying and training young programming graduates, we ensure that children receive high-quality instruction tailored to their needs and learning styles.

Through Code School, children gain access to essential coding skills that are increasingly becoming a requirement in the modern workforce. By equipping them with these skills, we empower them to pursue future opportunities in technology-related fields, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.

  Moreover, our solution fosters creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills among children, preparing them for success in an increasingly digital and dynamic world. By democratizing coding education, we level the playing field and provide every child with the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.

The team at Code School is uniquely positioned to deliver this solution due to our deep understanding of the challenges in coding education and our commitment to making a meaningful impact on underserved communities. 

Sadaf, the founder, has over two decades of experience in driving positive social change for Pakistani youth, most recently at the education policy level as the computer science curriculum reform lead for the Government of Pakistan’s Federal National Curriculum Council, a role which impacted reforms for over 20 million students. She has also worked for a decade at The Citizens Foundation, the world’s largest chain of low-cost schools, and was Pakistan's country lead for Generation Youth Employment, a McKinsey-founded nonprofit, so she has witnessed firsthand the critical need for innovative educational solutions.

The founding team consists of programming technical experts who started as instructors. The curriculum lead Ramsha started as a Code School teacher in her undergrad; she then went on to continue teaching during her computer vision masters in Germany and then became the main curriculum developer because of her experience in instruction, understanding the local context, but also with deep knowledge of global programming industry requirements because of her current work experience as a developer in New York where she currently resides. 

The operations lead Sabahat is an active instructor at Code School, a graduate of The Citizens Foundation - Baldia Campus in Karachi, where she received an undergrad scholarship to the LUMS School of Science and Engineering, one of the leading colleges in Pakistan. She understands firsthand the transformative power of a programming degree and the local challenge of delivering programs in underserved communities where she currently resides.

The design and implementation of our solution are deeply rooted in the input, ideas, and agendas of the communities we serve. Firstly, we conduct extensive research to understand academic and industry needs, ensuring our curriculum aligns with current demands and future opportunities. We then translate these requirements into engaging learning experiences through gamification, making the curriculum educational and enjoyable. Pilot testing helps us gauge interest levels and refine our approach to maintain engagement. Furthermore, we iterate our curriculum across various dimensions, including instructors, gender, age, countries, and technical backgrounds. This iterative process ensures that our solution is robust and adaptable, delivering outcomes effectively across diverse communities worldwide. By incorporating community input at every stage of design and implementation, we ensure that our solution is relevant and resonates with the unique needs and aspirations of the communities we aim to serve.

We began our journey in July 2021, and over the past 2.5 years, we are bootstrapped & cash-positive, and have gotten proof of concept and deployed the program in multiple countries, which means:

- Developed over 100 modules covering various aspects of coding education from grades 1 to 10.

- Delivered a total of 8000 instructional hours to students.

- Reached 1577 students spanning across 19 countries, with a primary focus on Pakistan and the GCC region.

- Implemented a robust instructor training and recruitment process, and funneled 39 instructors through the system

- Demonstrated proof of concept for our learning outcomes and curriculum efficacy through tangible results and student success stories.

We are now ready to scale up our online D2C program & onsite B2B programs, but need capital.

We are applying to Solve because we believe it presents a unique opportunity to overcome specific barriers hindering the scalability and impact of our solution. While our primary goal is not solely financial, we recognize that access to additional funding can catalyze our efforts to reach more underserved communities and enhance the effectiveness of our programming.

Solve's platform offers not only financial support but also invaluable non-monetary resources that can address various challenges we face. Specifically, we hope Solve can help us overcome the following barriers:

Access to Funding: While we have made significant strides in scaling our solution, additional funding would enable us to expand our reach and improve the quality of our offerings. Solve's prize and access to additional funding opportunities, including grants and investments, would provide the necessary resources to accelerate our growth trajectory.

Technical Support: As a technology-driven initiative, we encounter technical challenges in developing and maintaining our online learning platform. Solve's network of experts and access to in-kind resources such as software licenses can provide valuable technical support, enabling us to enhance our platform's functionality and user experience.

Legal and Regulatory Guidance: Navigating legal and regulatory frameworks, particularly in different countries, poses a significant challenge to our global expansion efforts. Solve's network includes legal experts who can provide guidance on compliance issues and facilitate partnerships with local stakeholders, helping us navigate regulatory barriers more effectively.

Cultural Sensitivity: Adapting our curriculum and instructional methods to diverse cultural contexts is essential for ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of our solution. Solve's emphasis on community engagement and access to pro bono resources such as cultural sensitivity training can support us in designing culturally responsive programming tailored to the needs of each community we serve.

Market Expansion: Expanding into new markets requires strategic partnerships and market insights. Solve's network provides access to potential collaborators, investors, and mentors who can offer valuable market intelligence and support our efforts to establish partnerships with local schools, organizations, and governments.

Overall, by becoming a Solver team, we aim to leverage Solve's resources, expertise, and network to overcome these barriers and advance our mission of democratizing coding education for underserved communities worldwide. We are committed to collaborating with Solve and its partners to maximize our impact and empower children with essential coding skills for the future.

Our main competitors primarily offer coding education through online platforms or physical classes. However, what sets us apart is our unique value proposition. We provide affordable, live instruction delivered online, leveraging labor arbitrage to offer competitive pricing. This means we can provide high-quality instruction at a fraction of the cost compared to other markets. Additionally, our subscription model and discounted monthly installments make our services accessible to a wider audience.

What differentiates us from our competitors is our deep understanding of operating in markets like Pakistan. This allows us to tap into the vast resource of programming graduates and inexpensive labor, enabling us to find and train talented instructors. By leveraging local expertise, we ensure our instructors possess not only technical proficiency but also a deep understanding of the local context and culture, enhancing the learning experience for our students.

Moreover, in markets in the global south, where there is a scarcity of coding education providers for kids at scale, we have a significant advantage. We are based in Pakistan, which has the world's 5th largest population and over 60% youth and churns out several hundred thousand STEM graduates, the potential for growth for in this market is immense. By focusing on this untapped market for our instructors, we position ourselves as pioneers in coding education for children, poised to capture a substantial share of this burgeoning demographic in the coming years.

There is an oft quoted trope in the education reform sector – that if Rip Van Winkle – the guy from the fairy tale who slept for a 100 years - was to wake up today, he would be amazed if he saw all the tech advancements in day to day life, things like self driving cars, automated checkouts, cell phones, but if he walked into a school, he would see exactly what he saw 100 years ago.

Education today remains trapped in a bygone era, failing to keep pace with the rapid advancements in technology. It's time to disrupt the status quo and usher in a new era of learning that empowers every child to thrive in the digital age.

At Code School, our theory of change is straightforward: By providing affordable and accessible coding education to children in resource scarce communities, we aim to empower them with essential skills for the future, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes and increased opportunities for socio-economic advancement.

Here's how we expect our solution to have an impact:

• Activities: We offer live, online coding instruction for children aged 6 to 16, incorporating gamified learning experiences to make coding education engaging and enjoyable. We recruit and train local instructors, ensuring that they are equipped to deliver high-quality instruction tailored to the needs of their communities.
• Immediate Outputs: Children gain foundational coding skills and develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity through our curriculum. Our instructors receive comprehensive training and support to effectively deliver coding lessons both online and in-person.
• Short-Term Outcomes: As children engage with our coding curriculum, they become more proficient in programming languages and gain confidence in their abilities. They also develop transferable skills such as logical reasoning and computational thinking, which can benefit them academically and in their future careers.
• Long-Term Outcomes: With improved coding literacy, children are better prepared to succeed in the digital age, opening up opportunities for higher education, skilled employment, and entrepreneurship. By equipping underserved communities with essential skills, we contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering socio-economic development.

At Code School, our theory of change is straightforward: By providing affordable and accessible coding education to children in underserved communities, we aim to empower them with essential skills for the future, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes and increased opportunities for socio-economic advancement.

Our theory of change is supported by research demonstrating the positive impact of coding education on cognitive development, problem-solving abilities, and academic performance. Additionally, feedback from our target population and evaluations of our program effectiveness provide evidence of the link between our activities, outputs, and outcomes. Through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, we continuously refine our approach to maximize our impact and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive in the digital era.

Our impact goals for Code School are centered around empowering children in underserved communities with essential coding skills, fostering their socio-economic advancement, and preparing them for success in today's digital world. To measure our progress towards these goals, we utilize a range of key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with our objectives and reflect the impact of our programs on students, instructors, and the communities we serve.

1. Attendance: We track student attendance to ensure consistent engagement with our coding classes. High attendance rates indicate sustained interest and participation in our programs, reflecting the value students perceive in learning coding skills.

2. Graduation: Graduation rates measure the proportion of students who successfully complete our coding courses. Achieving high graduation rates demonstrates the effectiveness of our instructional methods and curriculum in guiding students through their coding journey.

3. Retention: Retention rates indicate the percentage of students who continue their enrollment in subsequent coding courses after completing their initial program. High retention rates signify the satisfaction and continued interest of students in advancing their coding skills with Code School.

4. Student Learning Outcomes: We assess student learning outcomes through various means, including pre- and post-course assessments, project evaluations, and coding proficiency tests. Improvement in coding proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and computational thinking skills serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of our educational approach.

5. Assessment Results: Regular assessments are conducted to evaluate student progress and identify areas for improvement. Analyzing assessment results allows us to tailor instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of our students and ensure their continuous growth and development.

6. Instructor Classroom Observations: We conduct classroom observations to assess instructor performance, teaching methodologies, and classroom dynamics. Positive observations indicate effective teaching practices, engagement with students, and adherence to our pedagogical standards.

7. Code Reviews: Code reviews provide insights into the quality of students' coding projects and their application of coding concepts. Analyzing code reviews helps us gauge students' proficiency, identify areas for enhancement, and provide targeted feedback to support their learning journey.

By consistently monitoring these KPIs and evaluating our impact against predefined benchmarks, we can assess the effectiveness of our programs, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that we are delivering meaningful outcomes for our students and communities. Through continuous refinement and iteration, we strive to maximize our impact and empower the next generation with the skills they need to thrive in the digital age.

Our impact goals at Code School are centered around empowering children with essential coding skills and fostering socio-economic advancement in underserved communities.

• Increased Coding Literacy: Our primary impact goal is to ensure that children aged 6 to 16 in underserved communities gain proficiency in coding languages, enabling them to navigate the digital landscape with confidence. We measure our progress towards this goal by tracking the number of coding classes attended by each student, their completion rates, and their performance in coding assessments.
• Improved Educational Outcomes: We aim to see tangible improvements in educational outcomes among children who participate in our program. This includes enhanced problem-solving abilities, critical thinking skills, and academic performance. We measure progress by conducting pre- and post-program assessments to evaluate changes in students' cognitive abilities and academic achievements.
• Socio-economic advancement: Our ultimate goal is to create pathways for socio-economic advancement for children in underserved communities through coding education. We recognize that in an increasingly digital world, coding literacy is becoming a foundational skill necessary for success in any field. Therefore, our impact goal encompasses not only careers directly related to technology but also broader socio-economic opportunities. We measure progress towards this goal by tracking the number of students who demonstrate increased digital literacy, regardless of their chosen career path. This includes their ability to navigate technology, utilize digital tools effectively, and adapt to the evolving demands of the digital age. By equipping children with coding skills, we aim to empower them to pursue diverse educational and career pathways, thereby expanding their opportunities for socio-economic advancement and participation in the digital economy.
• Community Engagement and Empowerment: We aim to foster community engagement and empowerment by involving parents, teachers, and local stakeholders in the design and implementation of our program. We measure progress by assessing levels of community participation, satisfaction, and perceived impact through surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions.

To measure our progress towards these impact goals, we utilize both quantitative and qualitative indicators, including attendance rates, completion rates, assessment scores, educational attainment, employment outcomes, community feedback, and success stories from program participants.

Additionally, we conduct regular monitoring and evaluation activities to assess the effectiveness of our program, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that we are on track to achieve our desired impact. By continuously monitoring our progress and adapting our approach based on feedback and data insights, we strive to maximize our impact and create meaningful change in the lives of children and communities we serve.

1 full time staff
4 part-time staff
39 instructors on contract

2.5 years

At Code School, we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by fostering a leadership team with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Our goals include increasing representation of underrepresented groups and creating a culture of belonging. We implement bias-free hiring, offer DEI training, and support employee resource groups. Our commitment to DEI not only ensures a welcoming and supportive environment for staff but also enriches our decision-making and strengthens our ability to serve diverse communities effectively. We continually strive to advance DEI within our organization and beyond

Our business model is centered around providing coding education services to students through a subscription-based model, tapping into a total addressable market (TAM) valued at $4 billion for approximately 164 million students globally.

We aim to reach 4 million students, translating to a serviceable obtainable market (SOM) of $100 million.

We aim to create revenue by charging direct-to-consumer online coding classes and onsite camps, supplemented by business-to-business (B2B) partnerships offering teacher training and curriculum licensing.

Our platform aims to streamline the scheduling process, enabling customers to easily book coding classes based on their preferences. Parents can log in, select their child's age, preferred schedule, and programming language, while instructors undergo a thorough recruitment process and receive online training. Schools can also enter curriculum requirements, with the platform managing payments, tracking student progress, and issuing performance reports. This seamless process enhances accessibility and convenience, meeting the growing demand for coding education in today's digital landscape.

We are bootstrapped and cash-positive; our revenue primarily comes from our coding education services, specifically from the fees charged to students enrolled in our programs.

Direct-to-Consumer Online Classes: The majority of our revenue comes from direct-to-consumer online coding classes, where students pay for access to our live instruction and curriculum materials.

Onsite Classes: We also generate revenue from onsite coding camps conducted at our code school or partner school venues. This includes fees charged for in-person instruction and curriculum delivery.

Business-to-Business (B2B) Partnerships: A portion of our revenue is derived from business-to-business partnerships, where we provide teacher training, curriculum licensing, and educational consulting services to schools and educational institutions.