BEVERLY HILLS/WESTWOOD—Its summer, school is out and many parents might be wondering what to do to keep their kids occupied, but at the same time providing their minds mental stimulation where they are still sharp when school resumes in the fall. The answer is simple: enroll the kids in CodeRev Tech Camps. CodeRev is offering Tech Camps throughout the summer in the Beverly Hills, Westwood and Santa Monica areas.

Canyon News had the pleasure of speaking to the company’s founder Evan Boorman about what makes CodeRev so unique. Evan noted he has always been interested in technology since he was a kid, and that his mom was a software engineer and a consultant at a time when there were virtually no women in the field. He was aware he would be involved in that world in some way as he got older. As a kid, he did not have resources like CodeREV available and the technology to make learning such fun. While in college, he got into it, and even more after college, as his curiosity continued to grow as he learned.

“I’d been wanting to start CodeREV for a while. After a brief stint teaching advanced math, I had started a supplemental education company that helped with test prep, school subjects, and enrichment. After teaching myself to code by creating a couple of websites for that company, I kept thinking that this was the missing skill we weren’t teaching enough, or really at all, in school. I looked around and saw happy friends making great money in this industry, and I thought, we should really teach this to kids at a younger age. When I saw that the prevailing winds were beginning to point to other influential people and forces agreeing with me, I stopped everything I was doing and dove headfirst in, started CodeREV, and the rest is history.”

Evan Boorman.
Evan Boorman, CodeREV founder and CEO.

Evan explained that technology is the future for kids and it prepares them to learn and experience the joy that comes with becoming creators. “[It] is the best gift I can offer our future generations.”

CodeREV has a curriculum that is unlike most summer camps. The curriculum and camp staff is honed and tested year round, and written by industry experts from excellent education technology institutions such as Stanford, Harvard, MIT Media lab, and also blended by amazing super teachers like Microsoft Innovator James Pike (see mathcraft online for details). The staff is well-qualified and have real-world tech experience and real teaching experience; which is a rare combo, Boorman noted. He added they possess a passion and joy for working with and mentoring kids, which sets CodeREV apart from all others.

The cost of camp can be a concern for many parents, but CodeREV camps are priced at less than half that of others at local universities. They also offer full and partial scholarships to students on free and reduced lunch. Evan indicated many kids are skeptical of the camp in the beginning, but the apprehensive types tend to loosen up and let go by the second day and start to develop friendships. “[They] find how much they are enjoying what they’re building. Once they begin to see what they can actually create, they love it. It’s an addicting feeling, being in control of your world, and most kids don’t ever really have that. Think about it…everyday they are told what to do, when to do it, how to do it…with us, we give them the tools and guidance and let them be the rulers of their own creative worlds. They feel like they become like wizards, learning the secrets, the magic, to making the digital world follow their rules, and do the things they want their projects to do,” said Boorman.

When asked by Canyon News about the vast knowledge of the mentors at the camp when it comes to technology, and teaching kids, Evan indicated it’s very important because the kids can spot a phony.

“True expertise will always reign supreme. I believe strongly in the mentorship model. To teach something fully, you must be an expert in it. When kids see their mentors are true experts, with seemingly endless knowledge, they let their guard down and are willing to take a leap of faith to really learn. That trust is SO important in the learning process. This is why our campers are so successful,” Evan told Canyon News.

CodeREV aims to put creativity front-and-center at their camps, allowing kids to explore all opportunities. They provide the tools and encourage confidence for kids to develop their fullest potential. “I’ve been absolutely shocked at some of the mods, games, apps, animations, and robots that kids have made. Mind blowing. As in…MIND BLOWING! Kids are amazing,” stated Boorman.

When asked what a typical day for a kid at the camp is like, Boorman informed Canyon News that he isn’t certain he could call any day “typical.” He noted the day begins with a short lecture and modeling by the camps Code Geniuses, there are periods filled with kids building their projects which take the form of apps, making games, animations, building robots, or mods. There is also group discussion and iterating led by their Code Genius, and some outdoor camp activities like Ninja and Zombie Tag.

Currently, CodeREV has camps mainly in the California region including: Beverly Hills, Westwood, Santa Monica and Encino. Camps are also available in San Francisco Bay Area, Orange County region and they recently launched a camp in Nantucket. When asked about the possibility of expansion, Evan replied, “Yes, we’re in talks about further expansion outside California.”

He noted that the one course that is quite popular with students is Modding in Minecraft. Evan explained it allows kids to “hack” into Minecraft by writing their own code in the Java source code it is written in, and develop their own rules, and change the different types of items and what they can do in the game. “They love this so much. We have so much curriculum now as well; it’s just incredible what can be done, and we can pretty much do anything.”

CodeREV 3
Students learn REV Robots and REV Engineering at a CodeREV summer tech camp. The classes teach students to code with Arduino and to use circuits for electrical engineering and robotics tasks.

Evan noted the most important thing he wants parents to be aware of when it comes to CodeREV Tech Camps is:

“We want your kids to succeed as much as you do. A week of camp can change the way your child thinks about learning forever. Learning doesn’t have to be dull and boring.  It can be incredibly fun and rewarding; we strive to provide this life altering experience every single week.”

In all of their classes, campers get to take home their creations to show off to friends and family and to continue working on at home. They share files with the parents – on a google drive through your email. They also provide specific instructions on how to download the programs needed to continue work on the projects your child takes home. Those having trouble with an install or opening any files, can call CodeREV and they will walk you through the process. CodeREV camps are available between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for kids between the ages of 6-14.

The Beverly Hills camp is open until August 4 and is located at Temple Emmanuel at 8444 Burton Way. The Westwood camp is open until August 11 and is located at St. Paul the Apostle School at 1536 Selby Ave. To learn more information visit https://www.coderevkids.com/, email register@coderevkids.com or call (310) 450-4984.