What’s Happening
What’s Happening
🤖 Unleashing Competitive Engineering: Meet iCode Peoria’s VEX IQ Robotics Teams!
Big things are happening in our robotics lab! Since launching our competitive program in July, eight determined young engineers have been hard at work designing, building, coding, and driver-testing custom robots. This fall, iCode Peoria is officially stepping onto the competitive stage in the West Valley Robotics League! We are thrilled to introduce our two official VEX IQ Competition teams: 🐍 The Copperheads (4-student team) ⚔️ The BlackKnights (4-student team) 🏆 The Big Moment: First Official Competition on October 17th! After months of prototyping mechanisms, refining driver controls, and writing Autonomous code, both teams are heading out for their very first league event on Saturday, October 17th! We are competing as part of the official West Valley Robotics League (RE-VIQRC-26-5368). Over the course of the season, The Copperheads and The BlackKnights will take on teams from across Arizona in Teamwork Challenges, Robot Skills Matches, and Engineering Notebook judging. 🗓️ West Valley Robotics League Season Schedule: Mark your calendars and help cheer on our young innovators as they progress through the league sessions running from October through January: 📍 Session 1: October 17, 2026 📍 Session 2: November 14, 2026 📍 Session 3: December 12, 2026 🏆 League Finals: January 30,…
🚀 Turn School Breaks into Epic Tech Adventures: The Best STEM Camps in the West Valley!
When school is out, the learning and fun don't have to stop! Whether your child wants to build custom Minecraft space stations, produce YouTube videos, build Battle Bots, or master 3D design, iCode Peoria delivers the ultimate full-day, hands-on tech immersion for kids ages 6 to 16 across Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, and Sun City! All camp sessions run full days from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, giving students an inspiring, high-energy, and safe environment during upcoming school breaks! 🏆 Why iCode Peoria Offers the West Valley's Premier STEM Camps 1. Active Creation Over Passive Screen Time We turn gaming passion into real-world software engineering and digital skills! Campers don't just play games—they dive into the code, game mechanics, video production suites, and 3D design software behind them. 2. Flexible 1-Day & 3-Day Formats Whether you need single-day holiday coverage or a full 3-day deep dive, our schedules align seamlessly with PUSD district calendars so your family can plan stress-free. 3. Top-Tier Mentorship & Small Class Sizes We strictly cap our class sizes to ensure low student-to-instructor ratios. Your child learns on professional-grade equipment with real-time coaching from expert instructors. 🍂 Thanksgiving Break Camps (November) 🚀 Minecraft Education Space Station (1-Day…
🎃 iCode Peoria October Newsletter: Camps, Halloween PNO & Community Events!
Welcome to October at iCode Peoria! Fall is officially here, and we have a jam-packed month of hands-on coding camps, spooktacular weekend events, and local school partnerships across Peoria. Here is everything happening at our center this month! ⛺ Fall Break Day Camps Looking for engaging, educational fun during school breaks? Check out our upcoming day camps designed to get kids building, coding, and creating in their favorite games: Minecraft Modder: Customize Your World Format: 1-Day Camp Date & Time: October 13th | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Overview: Students dive into Minecraft's mechanics to create custom mods, edit game elements, and build unique world features. Roblox Editor: Create & Code Your World Format: 3-Day Camp Date & Time: October 14th – 16th | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Overview: Campers learn foundational Lua programming and game design principles inside the Roblox Studio editor. 🌙 Parents' Night Out (PNO) Drop off the kids for an evening of games, tech challenges, pizza, and fun while parents enjoy a night off! Friday, October 9th | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Friday, October 30th (Halloween Edition!) | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM 🎃 Special Event: Come dressed in your favorite Halloween costume for…
5 Signs Your Child Is Ready to Learn to Code
As more tech and advanced manufacturing companies set up shop across the Phoenix area, more Peoria parents are asking when the right time is to introduce their kids to coding. The honest answer has less to do with age and more to do with a few specific signs. What Readiness Actually Looks Like These signs aren't a guess. Kids who show them tend to take to structured coding practice quickly, since curiosity, patience, and comfort with trial and error are exactly what the process rewards. Once your child is ready, our Belt Program gives them a clear path to grow through. Do They Ask "How Does This Work?" Often? Some kids are content just using something. Others want to know why the garage door sensor stops the door, or how the thermostat knows to adjust itself. That kind of curiosity about the mechanism behind something is a strong early indicator. Can They Sit With a Hard Problem? Coding means getting things wrong before getting them right, a lot. A child who tries again after a setback instead of giving up is better positioned to actually enjoy the process, which tends to matter more than raw aptitude. Do Puzzles Hold…
How Structured Minecraft and Roblox Programs Help Kids Build Healthy Screen Habits
Screen time is one of the biggest concerns for parents today. The question is no longer just how much time kids spend on devices. It is how they are using that time. At iCode Peoria, we work with families across Peoria and nearby communities like Glendale, Surprise, and Sun City who are looking for better ways to manage their child’s screen time. Most parents are not trying to eliminate screens completely. They want their child’s screen time to feel more productive and less like a daily struggle. Structured programs built around platforms like Minecraft and Roblox are helping make that shift possible. Not All Screen Time Is the Same There is a clear difference between passive and active screen time. Passive screen time includes watching videos or scrolling endlessly. Active screen time involves creating, building, and solving problems. Minecraft and Roblox, when used in the right way, fall into the active category. Instead of just consuming content, kids are making decisions, experimenting, and building something of their own. Turning Screen Time Into Purpose Driven Learning In a structured environment, kids are not simply playing without direction. They are working toward clear goals. Inside structured programs, students: Complete guided challenges Build…