CodeHS
CodeHS is an American educational technology company and online learning platform founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science graduates Jeremy Keeshin and Zach Galant, specializing in computer science and coding instruction for K-12 students and educators.[1][2][3] The platform offers a comprehensive curriculum with over 100 customizable courses covering languages such as JavaScript, Python, HTML/CSS, and SQL, alongside hands-on lessons for elementary grades and advanced topics like cybersecurity and AP Computer Science.[4] It targets schools, teachers, and individual learners, providing tools including a browser-based integrated development environment (IDE) supporting more than 10 programming languages, a learning management system (LMS) for classroom management, professional development resources, and industry-recognized certifications to facilitate accessible and standards-aligned computer science education.[4] CodeHS's mission, encapsulated in its slogan "Read, Write, Code," emphasizes making coding a foundational skill to empower students to shape the future through technology.[3] Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company has grown to serve thousands of schools worldwide, earning recognition in major publications such as Forbes for its role in expanding K-12 computer science access amid increasing demand for digital literacy.[4][5] By 2025, CodeHS continues to innovate with updated curricula aligned to national and state standards, including new AI-focused courses and revisions to AP Computer Science A, supporting remote and in-person learning environments while partnering with educational institutions to train teachers and scale programs.[4][6]History
Founding and Early Development
CodeHS was founded in 2012 by Jeremy Keeshin and Zach Galant, both graduates of Stanford University's computer science program. The two met as freshmen in their dorm room, where they co-founded and ran The Stanford Flipside, the campus's satirical newspaper, while also serving as section leaders for introductory computer science courses over three years. Their experiences teaching these courses revealed the challenges in making computer science accessible and engaging for beginners, inspiring them to create an online platform to democratize coding education.[3][2] The company's inception occurred during Keeshin and Galant's senior year at Stanford, driven by a recognition of the limited availability of computer science education in U.S. high schools, where only about 5% offered advanced placement courses at the time. Motivated by the growing demand for computing skills—projected to leave over a million jobs unfilled by 2020—they aimed to provide interactive tools that could bring high-quality instruction to students lacking access to such resources. This vision positioned coding as a foundational 21st-century skill, comparable to reading and writing, essential for problem-solving and future career preparation.[7] CodeHS launched in October 2012 as part of the third cohort of the Imagine K12 education technology accelerator, initially focusing on interactive online tutorials designed for beginners in programming. The platform debuted with pilots in select high schools, such as those in Oakland and East Palo Alto, emphasizing web-based lessons to make learning code straightforward and enjoyable without requiring prior experience. From the outset, the mission targeted K-12 students globally, seeking to empower teachers and learners worldwide by offering free and accessible entry points to computer science fundamentals.[8][9]Key Milestones and Expansion
In October 2013, CodeHS achieved early national recognition by winning the NBC Education Nation Innovation Challenge, which awarded the company $75,000 in funding from the Robin Hood Foundation and highlighted its potential to democratize computer science education.[10] This victory provided crucial resources for platform development and positioned CodeHS among innovative ed-tech startups during the event's third annual summit.[11] Just two months later, in December 2013, CodeHS participated in the inaugural Hour of Code initiative organized by Code.org, featuring its JavaScript tutorial as one of the official activities and attracting 116,648 learners during the event week.[12] The participation marked a significant boost in visibility, aligning CodeHS with a global movement that introduced millions to programming basics and solidified its role in accessible K-12 computer science outreach. In January 2015, CodeHS raised $1.75 million in seed funding from investors including Learn Capital, NewSchools Venture Fund, and Kapor Capital.[13] By July 2016, CodeHS expanded its engagement tools with the introduction of custom badges for teachers, allowing educators to design and award personalized achievements to motivate students beyond standard curriculum milestones.[14] This feature enhanced classroom gamification, enabling teachers to tailor recognition for concepts like problem-solving or collaboration, and was integrated into the platform's teacher dashboard for seamless use. In August 2024, CodeHS launched several new courses for the 2024-25 school year to broaden its offerings, including introductory Cybersecurity, Game Development in Unity, Web Design and Development, AI for High School, and Applications of AI and Machine Learning.[15] CodeHS also released the Collaborate tool, enabling real-time student debugging, live code sharing, and teacher demonstrations within assignments to foster collaborative learning environments.[16] These additions addressed emerging demands in computer science education, providing standards-aligned content for high school pathways and emphasizing practical skills in high-growth fields like AI and cybersecurity.[17] Entering 2025, CodeHS focused on elementary education enhancements, revamping its K-6 Computer Science Pathway in January to improve grade-level progression and conceptual scaffolding across unplugged activities, block-based coding, and transition to text-based programming.[6] By July 2025, CodeHS rebranded its elementary curriculum as CodeHop to better resonate with younger audiences while retaining the core content and platform features.[18] That same month, CodeHS announced the 2025 Scholars program, awarding $1,000 grants to 10 high school seniors pursuing computer science studies in postsecondary education, selected based on academic merit and passion for the field.[19] In October 2025, CodeHS updated the Due Dates page to improve the student experience, streamlining task management and visibility into deadlines.[20] These developments underscored CodeHS's ongoing commitment to scaling its reach through innovative tools, curriculum evolution, and student support initiatives.Platform and Curriculum
Core Educational Offerings
CodeHS provides a comprehensive K-12 computer science curriculum featuring over 100 customizable courses designed for middle and high school students, aligned with national standards such as the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards, the K-12 Computer Science Framework, ISTE standards, and Common Core Math and NGSS where applicable.[21] These offerings include College Board-endorsed courses like AP Computer Science A, as well as Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways and state-specific curricula tailored to regions such as Florida and Tennessee, ensuring alignment with local requirements for computer science education.[22][23][24] The curriculum follows a recommended K-12 pathway covering five key programming languages to build skills progressively: block-based coding for beginners, JavaScript, Python, Java, and HTML/CSS.[22] Each course incorporates a range of instructional components, including video tutorials and slides for concept delivery, interactive exercises and projects for hands-on practice, quizzes and assessments for evaluation, detailed lesson plans for teachers, and a fully integrated development environment (IDE) that supports real-time coding and debugging.[21] This structure emphasizes problem-solving and computational thinking, with tools like Karel the Dog serving as an accessible entry point for introductory programming concepts.[25] In addition to student-facing courses, CodeHS offers specialized professional development (PD) programs for educators, including online, self-paced courses on programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, and Java, as well as pedagogy for teaching computer science in blended classrooms.[26] These PD offerings extend to exam preparation for state certifications, covering 100% of competencies for tests like the Praxis Computer Science exam, Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE), and Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) in computer science.[27][28][29] For the 2025-26 school year, CodeHS introduced new courses including Advanced Cybersecurity, an updated AP Computer Science A aligned with the revised College Board framework, and expanded Mix and Match modules for flexible curriculum building.[30] At the elementary level (K-5), CodeHop (rebranded from CodeHS Elementary in July 2025) features hands-on, project-based lessons using tools like Scratch and ScratchJr, integrating computer science into core subjects such as math, science, English language arts (ELA), and social studies through vertically aligned pathways that support ongoing implementation; as of November 2025, additional state-specific K-5 pathways continue to be launched.[31][18][32]Introductory Programming with Karel the Dog
Karel the Dog is a virtual robot programmed to navigate a grid-based world, serving as CodeHS's primary tool for introducing beginners to programming fundamentals without requiring prior coding knowledge.[33] Students issue commands such asmove(), which directs Karel to step forward one unit; turnLeft(), which rotates Karel 90 degrees left; putBall(), which places a tennis ball in the current corner; and takeBall(), which removes a ball if present.[34] These commands can be written in JavaScript syntax or using drag-and-drop blocks, allowing learners to focus on logic rather than syntax intricacies.[35] Through Karel's exercises, students grasp core concepts including sequences of instructions, loops for repetition, conditionals for decision-making, functions for reusable code blocks, and decomposition by breaking complex tasks into simpler steps.[36]
A typical beginner exercise might involve writing a program to guide Karel from a starting position to a specific corner, such as moving forward three steps, turning left four times to return to the original facing direction, and placing a ball upon arrival. This can be implemented in JavaScript as follows:
Such puzzles emphasize problem-solving in a visual, forgiving environment where errors result in clear feedback, like Karel getting stuck.[37] For more advanced challenges, CodeHS offers the SuperKarel extension, which equips Karel with additional built-in abilities likefunction main() { move(); move(); move(); turnLeft(); turnLeft(); turnLeft(); turnLeft(); putBall(); }function main() { move(); move(); move(); turnLeft(); turnLeft(); turnLeft(); turnLeft(); putBall(); }
turnRight() and turnAround() to streamline common maneuvers without manual repetition of turnLeft() commands.[38] This progression builds confidence as students tackle increasingly sophisticated worlds. Over time, CodeHS has evolved its visual programming options to include Tracy the Turtle as an alternative tool, where learners use Python commands like forward() and turn() to draw shapes on a canvas, providing a graphics-based entry point to similar concepts.[39]
Karel the Dog powers interactive Hour of Code tutorials and forms the basis for structured courses like Introduction to Programming with Karel the Dog, a quarter-long curriculum that scaffolds from basic commands to full programs.[33] It integrates seamlessly into CodeHS's broader platform to support progressive skill development.[36]