Leveraging Technology
to Inspire Joy and Hope
in Children's Life
Kids Code Club offers ALL FREE
online tech-learning events and tutorials
We’re a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring smiles and hope in children across Japan and beyond. Our mission is to provide opportunities to learn programming and develop IT skills, focusing on elementary and middle school students from diverse backgrounds, especially those facing financial and social hardships or other barriers to educational opportunities.
Third-place Initiative for Learning Digital Creation
Our online community is a virtual space where kids who love creating things digitally come together to learn from each other, rather than from adults. It’s a place where no one laughs at mistakes; instead, trial and error is encouraged. Through creating their own projects, kids develop both confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
PC & Wi-Fi Access Program for Kids in Need
As society becomes more digital, the '21st-century education gap' is widening, particularly for children. Kids dealing with challenges like school refusal, learning disabilities, poverty, or single-parent households often face even greater obstacles. But by offering them a supportive environment where they can learn at their own pace, we can give them the chance to change their lives.
Free Online Tutorials for Self-learning
Learning starts with imitation, but real growth comes from doing. Rather than being taught by adults, the joy of working through a project you’re passionate about—at your own pace, making mistakes, reworking it, improving it, and pushing through challenges—builds a resilience that stays with you throughout life.
What we can do for the next generation
The Growing Divide in Educational Opportunities
✓ "Information" added as a new subject in college entrance exams
✓ Programming now mandatory in elementary and middle schools
As digital technology becomes more widespread, the gap keeps growing for kids who don’t have a computer at home or can’t attend school due to their specific challenges. Private programming schools can cost hundreds of dollars a month, making them out of reach for many families.
The lack of places where kids can just be themselves
✓ 36% of children feel they have no place to belong outside of home or school
We aim to create a space where children from diverse backgrounds, including those facing various challenges, can come together and connect through their shared love of programming and digital creation.
Today, many children around us are unable to pursue what they want to learn due to financial difficulties or a lack of interest and support for education in their home environment.
Learning is deeply connected to hope, and it’s something truly essential. That’s why we believe every child should have the opportunity to learn as much as they want about the things they love, regardless of their circumstances. With this in mind, we started our volunteer program in 2016, offering free programming lessons.
Through learning programming, we hope to equip children with the ability to push forward despite challenges and develop the habit of lifelong learning. We want to give them the tools to take control of their own futures, even in difficult situations.
Our projects to provide learning opportunities
We’re not just focused on teaching programming and IT skills. We aim to help children develop the ability to learn independently, collaborate with others, and use information effectively. To support this, we provide three key elements: self-paced learning materials, opportunities to connect with peers, and a supportive learning environment.
Offering free programming learning opportunities to learn together (1)
"HOUKAGO" Programming Club (a.k.a. "Hopro") held online every Tuesday and Friday
Join us at the After School Programming Club every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 5 PM (JST)! Over 50 elementary and middle school students gather in a virtual space to explore programming and create digital projects in a fun, playful environment. It’s not a traditional class with adults lecturing—kids learn at their own pace, using materials and doing their own research. When they get stuck, they help each other out, making it a collaborative and engaging experience.
Offering free programming learning opportunities to learn together (2)
Regular parent-participation events:
"Computer Science in English"
"One-Min. Programming with Parents"
In partnership with a Seattle-based nonprofit, we host sessions where both kids and parents can learn the basics of computers in English from GAFAM engineers. Many participants join from English-speaking countries, allowing children from different nations to connect and interact, overcoming distance and language barriers. It’s a fun, global experience where kids can learn programming and practice their English at the same time.
Free PC & WiFi Rental
Digital Exploration Program to Support Access to Hardware
We provide free rentals of computers, Wi-Fi, and other digital learning tools to families who can’t afford them. But it’s not just about lending equipment—we maintain regular, thoughtful communication with both parents and children through LINE. This helps us discover each child’s unique motivation for learning, and we offer ongoing support to ensure even those without previous study habits can continue participating.
Free Access to Programming Tools and Learning Resources
Free Online Programming Tutorials："Kids Code Recipes"
The learning materials we use in our After-School Programming Club and Digital Exploration Program, called "Kids Code Recipes," are freely available to anyone worldwide. With over 1,750,000 users, they’re being utilized daily. These resources are widely used across Japan, both as learning tools in elementary and middle schools and as teaching materials for educators, supporting many programming students.
Our Track Record at Kids Code Club
Kids Code Club
Impacts
Participants in
our programming event
28,678
（Sept. 2025）
Total uses of recipes
1,749,788
（Sept. 2025）
Recipients of Rental
PCs & Wi-Fi Devices
107
（Sept. 2025）
Awards and Recognitions for Kids Code Club
The Grand Prize at
the Next Education Awards
Kids Code Club was awarded the Grand Prize at Japan's first comprehensive education award, the Next Education Award, selected from nearly 100 entries.
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Classroom of the Future" Pilot Project
The After-School Programming Club was selected as a pilot project for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's 2022 "Classroom of the Future" initiative, under the theme "A Third Place to Foster Diverse Personalities, Talents, and Creativity.
Forbes Japan "Next 100: 100 Ways to Save the World"
Kids Code Club founder Ishikawa was selected for Forbes Japan's "Next 100: 100 Ways to Save the World." The organization was highlighted for its efforts to tackle the 21st-century education gap.
Feedback from Children and Parents
At our After-School Programming Club, children from diverse backgrounds—including those facing various challenges—come together, creating a microcosm of society. Through their shared love of programming and digital creation, they naturally interact, learn to embrace differences, and learn from one another. The kids continue to collaborate, respecting and contributing to each other's growth.
One child shared, "It’s more fun to work together because you get to learn about everyone’s ideas, which you can’t do when working alone!" Even kids who used to struggle with communication have started asking questions, presenting their ideas, and researching what they want to create or learn about on their own. Many parents have also reported that their children are becoming more active and confident in real-world settings like school.
This change has also sparked more conversations between parents and children about their projects, and in some cases, has even inspired parents to say, "I’d like to learn programming too."
O, 6th grader
I haven’t been able to go to school much, and I used to have a really hard time with reading and writing. But lately, I’ve started to recognize kanji, and even my support teacher is surprised! As I search online for things I’m interested in, I’m learning more characters, and now I actually find reading fun. I’m also getting better at using the computer, like with voice search.
R, 7th grader
When I got to middle school, everyone had a smartphone, and I didn’t want to feel left out when communicating with friends, so I saved up and got a budget smartphone. But Wi-Fi was too expensive, and I was struggling with that. Now that I’ve been able to borrow a computer and Wi-Fi, it’s been life-changing. I use it to look things up when I’m stuck, practice typing, and use it a lot outside of the After-School Programming Club too!
K, 7th grader
Now that I have access to a computer, I’ve started becoming interested in all sorts of things. We didn’t have the internet before, so I used to just watch TV. But now, I search YouTube to learn about things I don’t understand. Since my parent gets home late and I spend a lot of time alone, being able to join the After-School Programming Club has been a big help.
Y, 5th grader
Now that I have access to a computer, I’ve started becoming interested in all sorts of things. We didn’t have the internet before, so I used to just watch TV. But now, I search YouTube to learn about things I don’t understand. Since my parent gets home late and I spend a lot of time alone, being able to join the After-School Programming Club has been a big help.
The Message from Our Founder
After entering the School of Engineering at Kyushu University (Fukuoka, Japan), I had to drop out due to financial difficulties. Following that, I found myself in a precarious situation, living as a "working poor," relying on day labor jobs to get by. It wasn’t until I started teaching myself programming that my life took a significant turn, and on Children's Day in 2016, I founded Kids Code Club.
Learning programming allowed me to take on IT-related work, leading to financial independence. But more than that, it taught me the value of "just trying things out, getting feedback, and improving step by step." This approach—embracing trial and error and moving forward—completely transformed my life.
I want Kids Code Club to be a place where children, even in the face of challenges, can develop the strength to keep moving forward and the ability to become lifelong learners. Join us in ensuring that we remain a vital space where kids can discover their potential and shape their own futures. Together, we can make a lasting impact on their lives. Thank you!
Maiko Ishikawa
Founder, Kids Code Club
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