Written by Cecilia Hahn, Founder, Ember Coding Lab

We love being part of San Diego’s growing tech scene, and we’re even more excited that Ember Coding Lab, our after-school coding studio dedicated to inspiring a love of coding and curiosity, is officially calling San Diego home.

Our neighbors, all amazingly kind people, have played a pivotal role in shaping Ember. They volunteered their children as beta testers when we were designing our curriculum. These little ones provided invaluable feedback and transformed our program into an exciting learning adventure. They and I had a blast iterating on ideas, and I’m immensely grateful for their enthusiasm and the trust of their parents.

Shout out to you kids! You are the best!

But it’s more than just the neighbors, it’s the neighborhood. The local business community has been an incredible source of support. The League of Amazing programmers, a non-profit founded in 2006 and dedicated to our same mission, have been supportive of us from day one. JEI, a well-established after-school learning program, opened their doors to us, providing a space to experiment with a pilot five-week class. The Elegant Cleaners & Laundry business just next door showered us with hellos and love. And Tim and his team over at Big Frog Custom T-shirts are just incredible.

It’s clear that San Diegans have a special way of coming together to support their community. This sense of camaraderie and collaboration is what makes our city so unique. We are thinking intensely on how to ensure that same spirit of collaboration oozes from our coding lab.

We’re excited to officially open our doors and welcome San Diego’s young minds into the world of coding. We’re proud of what we’ve built and excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Ember and for the amazing young people we’re privileged to work with.

So, join us as we run head first into this exciting journey in the beautiful city we call home.