Manual HS students create award-winning coding app

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Jahan Taila and Nathan Anel created an app to teach kids how to code. Now they’re taking it to a national competition.

The two high schoolers started work last summer and spent lots of downtime and almost every lunch hour at school working on Codera. It teaches you all the basics of coding but turns it into a game. You complete missions and level up an avatar.

The app launched in January and they continue to make upgrades, like a multiplayer update that should be coming out soon.

The pair came up with the idea because they were very interested in coding as kids themselves, but there weren’t any straightforward ways to learn the basics.

“Seeing, I guess like, future creators and future builders as society is advancing these skills are going to be more and more important. And especially recognizing a problem in your community and having that ability to just create that solution the next hour, the next day, and seeing that come to life and then playing with it,” said Anel. “It’s just like immensely satisfying.”

“So we’re really hoping to inspire the next generation of coders which we’re really doing through our platform with the gamification and hopefully they see coding that’s cool, they’re going to pursue a STEM career become a software developer for even create something that can help their community,” said Taila.

Taila and Anel won 2nd place at the state DECA competition. The organization has high schoolers compete with entrepreneurial and marketing concepts.

Now they’re taking Codera to the national DECA competition in Orlando at the end of April.

The first two levels are free, then it costs $15.99 a month for the full content.

They know cost can be a barrier so they’re working to partner with other local schools to get this in front of kids.

Click here if you’d like to learn more about Codera and give it a try!

Copyright 2023 WAVE. All rights reserved.