United States
Australia
Aubot Academy teaches kids aged 8–18 real computer science, like Kumon, but for coding. Kids work through 15,362 exercises at their own pace, from beginner Python to Java and university-level algorithms, with an instructor beside them each week. We teach in person at Redwood Shores Library, online across the US and Australia, and in after-school programs at local schools.
It took 5.5 years and 275 university contributors to create our curriculum. Every section is rated, rewritten and tested by our team of user testers before a child ever sees it.
When I was 10, growing up in Cairns, Australia, I dreamed of learning to code. But there was nowhere for me to learn. I had to wait until university, and when I got there, I realized beginner computer science was simpler than high school math. I could have understood it at ten!
I studied computer science and mechatronics engineering at the University of Melbourne.
Noticing how few girls were in my engineering classes, in 2008 I founded Robogals, a volunteer organization that runs robotics workshops for girls. It has since taught more than 200,000 students around the world.
I went on to found Aubot, which built Teleport telepresence robots that let kids with cancer in hospital attend school, and co-found Aipoly, an AI app that helps blind people recognize objects, downloaded more than 500,000 times.
After 12 years of teaching kids technology, I kept seeing the same thing: kids fell in love with coding at a workshop, then had nowhere to go next. The course I would have wanted at ten still didn't exist: a long-term curriculum that takes kids from their first line of code all the way to real computer science.
So in 2020, I started building it.
Cairns is a 19-hour drive from the nearest big city. Growing up so far from everything, I often felt I was missing out. That's why our classes are online as well as in person, so kids can learn real computer science wherever they live.
Now I'm bringing it to the Bay Area. I'm so excited to give every kid a real computer science education, at their own pace.
1. Kids can learn real coding.
From their very first class, kids as young as 8 write real Python, the same language professionals use.
2. Every child is capable.
Kids don't need to be "a math kid" or a natural with computers. With the right guidance, any child can learn to code.
3. Kids grow with encouragement.
A little support at the right moment helps a child push through something hard. That's what our instructors are there for.
4. Practice makes it stick.
Understanding something once isn't the same as being able to do it. Just like learning an instrument or a sport, coding gets easier with practice, so kids repeat each small step until they can do it on their own.
5. A real person helps kids keep going.
Learning to code alone is hard to stick with. An instructor beside them each week helps kids get unstuck, keep going, and finish.
6. Never outgrow it.
Kids don't have to stop at what their school offers. In person or online, wherever they live, they can keep learning, from their first lines of Python all the way to university-level computer science. We'll be with them every step of the way.
Started building the Aubot Academy curriculum.
Ran a three-week coding program with the Harding Miller Education Foundation
Awarded an International Youth Foundation grant to teach coding in 78 schools across the US, Australia and Fiji
Every section refined and tested with 275 university contributors: 15,362 exercises
Awarded Churchill Fellowship Impact Funding to teach students and develop our curriculum
First student completes the full Python curriculum, and goes on to a Python programming internship
National Science Week classes across Australia, and coding programs with nonprofits including Curious Minds
Ran the National Computer Science Workshop; opened weekly classes in the Bay Area and an after-school program at Sandpiper School.
What: Self-paced coding classes for kids aged 8–18, like Kumon, but for computer science
Curriculum: Python, then Java (AP Computer Science A), then algorithms and data structures (university level) · 15,362 exercises
Classes: One 45-minute class a week with an instructor, plus unlimited practice at home
Where: In person at Redwood Shores Library (Redwood City, California), live online in the US and Australia, and after-school programs at local schools
Price: $150 USD every 28 days (US) · $225 AUD every 28 days (Australia) · first class free
Founded: 2020 by Marita Cheng, 2012 Young Australian of the Year and founder of Robogals
Track record: Used by 8,936 students in 78 schools across the US, Australia and Fiji · built with 275 university contributors
Backed by: the International Youth Foundation (2021) and the Churchill Trust (2024)
Name: Aubot Academy is the education arm founded by Marita Cheng, who also founded the robotics company Aubot
Contact: info@aubot.com · 650.733.6652
In 45 minutes, your child will write real Python and fix their first bugs, with an instructor beside them. No experience needed, and nothing to set up.
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