Coding gold! Milton Keynes youngsters reach highest Code Ninjas level

After three years of coding, problem-solving and increasingly ambitious projects, Robert Trasler and Mia Jackson have reached Gold Belt – the highest level of achievement at Code Ninjas Milton Keynes – progressing from the building blocks of coding to creating their own original games.

Code Ninjas uses a martial arts-inspired belt system that allows young people to progress through increasingly advanced coding skills and projects. Ninjas – the name given to Code Ninjas students – work their way through different-coloured belts as their knowledge develops, culminating in Black Belt, before taking on the additional challenge of achieving the programme’s highest accolade, Gold Belt.

For Robert, the achievement has also helped shape what comes next. After finishing Sixth Form at Cedars Upper School in Leighton Buzzard, he will begin studying Game Design and Programming at the University of Staffordshire this autumn – with his sights already set on a career as an indie game developer and designer.

Robert joined Code Ninjas three years ago, attending for two hours each week. Along the way, he became a familiar and helpful presence at the centre, often lending a hand when other young coders encountered challenges.

It is exactly the kind of confidence and problem-solving that Code Ninjas Milton Keynes aims to encourage. Led by local owner Girish Betadpur, the Broughton Gate-based centre has evolved alongside a rapidly changing technology landscape. Coding remains at the heart of its programmes, while young Ninjas can also explore robotics, game development and artificial intelligence.

Robert put those skills to the test with his Gold Belt project, Voidsent, an action platformer in which players battle enemies as they progress through the game. But creating it proved to be as much a lesson in planning as programming.

“One of the biggest things I’ll take away from Code Ninjas is learning how to approach problems, work through issues and find solutions. It’s helped me grow beyond the coding itself, and I know those skills will be useful in the future.

“When I started my final project, I thought I could focus on the end result and everything would come together. I soon realised I needed to plan in much more detail. Changing my approach really paid off and gave me a good insight into what working on a project in a software company could actually be like.

“I’d love to become a full-time indie game developer and designer after university, so I’m excited to keep building on everything I’ve learnt.”

Mia has completed her own three-year journey through the programme, impressing the team with her focus and inquisitive approach to learning. She developed a strong relationship with the centre’s Senseis and was always keen to understand more as her coding skills progressed.

For her Gold Belt project, Escape the School, Mia brought together what she had learnt to design and build her own game.

Girish said: “What I’m most proud of is the independence they’ve developed along the way. When young people first start coding, they naturally look to their Senseis for help when something doesn’t work. Over time, you see that change – they start experimenting, questioning why something has gone wrong and finding their own way through it.

“That confidence to tackle something difficult and keep going until you find an answer is something that reaches far beyond coding. Robert and Mia have both developed that in their own way and I hope it stays with them whatever they choose to do next.”

To learn more about Code Ninjas Milton Keynes, visit: www.codeninjas.co.uk/miltonkeynes-bkm-uk