Hello friendly faces! It’s that time of the week! We’re back with a new CNSM spotlight brought to you in part by Mary Gifford of Gifford Law.
This week’s spotlight is a twofer! I’m pleased to introduce you to the duo behind a boutique after school activity that fosters learning and growth in a field that the Bureau of Labor Statistics is calling the fastest growing occupation of 2022/2023¹… coding. Deerfield dad of two, Chad Kreindler, and Deerfield mom of three, Robin Brown, are co-owners of theCoderSchool North Shore, also located in the heart of Deerfield. In this exclusive interview Chad and Robin tell us how these two families went into business together and more about why this extracurricular activity is so important for your young child. Welcome the Kreindler and Brown families!
Hi Chad and Robin! Please introduce yourselves. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?
Chad: Hi! I’m Chad Kreindler. I grew up in Cincinnati, but I have lived in the Chicago area since 2000. My wife, Karen, is originally from Deerfield and we met while living in the city. We originally met our good friends and co-owners, the Browns, in 2007. Although it was a coincidence that we all ended up in Deerfield, we are happy to be part of a community that aligns with our passion for providing access to coding and technology.
Robin: Hi! I’m Robin Brown. I grew up in Deerfield and moving back was never in our original plan. My husband, Justin, and I met while we were both living in the city. We knew we wanted to raise our kids in the northern suburbs but were open to all of them. The house we fell in love with was in Deerfield so we’ve been here ever since.
Tell us about your children.
Chad: Karen and I have two girls – Ella, 10, and Tessa, 7. Both girls are students at Walden Elementary. Ella loves dancing, music and has been a Rootz enthusiast since she was little. Tessa also loves dancing, art and enjoys playing soccer through the Deerfield Park District. Both girls love hanging out with their friends and enjoying their lives here in Deerfield.
Robin: Justin and I have three kids. Harper and Parker are twins and in 3rd grade. Sami is our youngest and in kindergarten. Harper loves gymnastics and has been on the Lake Forest Gymnastics team for 2 years. Gymnastics is her favorite thing to do. Parker loves to swim and recently joined COHO swim club. He also loves to read and is always telling us a new fact that he learned in a book. Sami has a love/hate relationship with being the baby of the family. She loves gymanstics like her big sister but also loves to dance.
What are one or two fun facts to know about you?
Chad: I work for T-Mobile for Education and have 15+ years in EdTech experience. In addition, I love play paddle tennis at Midtown and just tipped my toe (literally) in the triathlon arena this past Summer.
Robin: I’m a registered dietitian and a certified pilates teacher. I recently opened up my private practice.
What are your favorite North Shore places, spaces and eats to frequent?
Chad: The Kreindlers have very eclectic tastes in the North Shore. For Greek food, Chad loves Demetri’s in Deerfield. Their octupus and calamari salads are amazing. For sushi, Karen loves Sushi Kushi in Highland Park. Their sushi is always tasty. Ella loves lobster ravioli and lamb chops from Italian Kitchen in Deerfield. Tessa lives for pizza and tacos, so Mod Pizza and Fat Rosie’s are her go-to places.
Robin: The Browns have so many favorites! The kids love going to Sunset Park in Highland Park. We are big fans of Grill House, Upper Crust, and BluFish Sushi.
What is your mantra if you have one?
We have two! They are:
If you have the opportunity to give, you have the obligation to give.
To prepare the next generations, we need more children to learn computer skills regardless of their future profession.
For both of you, please introduce theCoderSchool North Shore.
theCoderSchool North Shore is an after-school drop-off program for kids learning to code. We combine collaboration and immersion with direct instruction by our Code Coaches® to get your kids learning to code. We offer small group classes, private, and semi-private lessons. Our lessons are student driven and our coaches go at the pace of the student they are working with.
We opened theCoderSchool in May of 2018. We were originally in Highland Park but due to COVID, moved to a smaller space within the previous Rootz location. When Rootz moved, we decided to move into a permanent location in Deerfield.
As the owners of this location, we work closely with Tori Elkes, our manager, on operations. marketing, and parent communication.
Chad and Robin, why did you decide to go into business together?
Robin: Chad and Justin originally met while volunteering in the Jewish community in the city 15 years. With Chad’s background in EdTech sales, and Justin’s background in coding and business operations, there was a natural fit to identify business opportunities. theCoderSchool combines our entrepreneurial spirit with our desire to provide a valuable coding skill set for kids in the North Shore.
What is your background that led to your work with theCoderSchool?
Chad: Robin’s husband, Justin, participated in a coding bootcamp in 2011 because he wanted to learn how to make websites for his businesses. I have a diverse background in K-12 education where I’ve seen first-hand the importance of individualized learning.
Why is it important that parents invest in coding classes for children?
Robin: Coding includes subjects such as math, science, and reading. Kids who learn to code develop soft and hard skills supporting academic achievement. Coding benefits kids in school because lessons taught by our code coaches transfer to the classroom.
An important stat to keep in mind is according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer and information systems managers are the highest-paid coding professionals, followed by Software Engineers and Data Scientists [source].
How are the classes structured at theCoderSchool?
Chad: Our coding school’s flagship after-school program, Code Coaching®, combines a super-small 1:1 or 2:1 teaching ratio with an individualized curriculum so kids are able to move at their own pace, doing things that interest them most. While Code Coaching is our premium program, we also offer a more traditional Code Class for those looking for either software-driven or static-curriculum teaching in a larger ratio. During summer we offer Coding Camps.
Do you have any camps or workshops coming up?
Robin: We have a new Python class starting on 10/25. Python is one of the hottest languages around today. The class will start out by using an online python platform to learn some basics and practice some fundamental concepts. Based on our student skill set, the class may jump on to some more complex Python coding, potentially getting into coding with PyGame. The class will meet every Wednesday from 4pm-5pm. For more information or to register, click here.
What’s next for theCoderSchool?
Chad: We continue to grow our code coaching programs. In addition, we will continue to add custom workshops for school holidays, parents night outs, on-site year-round camps, and off-site summer camps at North Shore. Stay tuned by following us on Instagram or Facebook!
Is there anything else you’d like us to know about yourself or theCoderSchool North Shore?
Robin: We always welcome feedback to make our programs more welcoming and engaging your your kids and our community!
Time to give us your contact details…
Please visit our website https://www.facebook.com/thecoderschoolnorthshore for more information. theCoderSchool North Shore is located at 827 N Waukegan Rd Deerfield, IL 60015 across from Village Hall. Of course we’d love to hear from you. Call (847)780-7577 or email us at [email protected].
¹ Fastest growing occupations: 20 occupations with the highest projected percent change of employment between 2022-32 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, [source].
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About our Meet of Mom Sponsor
A very heartfelt thank you to CNSMoms’ Meet a Mom sponsor, Lake Forest mom of three and owner of Gifford Law, a solo Estate Planning Firm (wills and trusts). Mary, we appreciate your support of local moms in our North Shore communities! Learn more about Mary by visiting her Meet a Mom spotlight here! Contact Mary directly here: [email protected].
