A Day in the Life of a Kuki Code Avenger

At 8:30 AM, the classroom is quiet—except for the gentle hum of 12 desktop computers, and the clickety clack of fingers on keyboards as students practice their touch-typing. Then room is otherwise quiet with concentration. These are the Kuki Code Avengers, a crew of curious kuki-kids ready (even if they don’t know it yet) to conquer another day of coding, building and other fun tech challenges.

Each day at Kuki Code Avengers is designed to feel like an adventure—because that’s how kids learn best: when they’re playing, testing, competing, and collaborating. Funded by the New Zealand High Commission Grant Fund, this school holiday program is about more than just tech. It’s about building the future—one robot, one challenge, and one child at a time. Thanks to their funding, we are able to deliver this program to children for the entire year!

Morning: Warm-Ups and Digital World Explorers
The day kicks off with a quick quiz or coding puzzle to get brains buzzing. Today, it’s Kahoot—questions flash on the screen, fingers hover over keyboards, and laughter erupts as teams cheer each other on. Digital citizenship, online safety, and critical thinking sneak their way in under the disguise of games. “I like Kahoots! I wish we could do more!”

Mid-Morning: Build. Break. Try Again.
Now it’s time for the real work. One group is assembling robotic cars, refining their gears and motors, and using code blocks to make them move. Across the room, another team debates the best way to build the tallest paper tower. It’s part engineering challenge, part social experiment, and entirely fun. Failures aren’t setbacks—they’re design notes. “Let’s try it this way,” one girl says as her group’s tower collapses in slow motion. They laugh, then start again.

Afternoon: The Maze Run
After lunch, it’s robot maze time. Students work in pairs to develop the most efficient codebase to guide their robot from start to finish. It’s problem-solving in real time. They talk it out, test it, debug it. Some celebrate a clean run. Others tweak and retry. And through it all, the energy is electric.

The Mentors observe the room and challenge students on their code base and build strategies. “How can we make it (the robot) move faster? Can we improve the code base to be simpler?” It’s not just about making it ‘work’. We want kids to develop a continuous learning mindset: can we do it better? make it faster? more efficient? Some kids like to figure it out on their own, some like the trial and error approach, some like to ask questions, and others like to learn from observing others.

“I like the kids in my team” says Maia. “The coding challenges are fun. I liked building our robot and I liked working with the other team on their robot too. I had a lot of fun today.”

By 12PM, shy kids are presenting their robot’s logic flow like little engineers. Loud kids are helping quiet ones refine code.

Why It Matters
These kids are developing real-world skills: coding, collaboration, engineering, and digital literacy. But more than that, they’re learning confidence. They’re learning that they can create, not just consume. That they can solve problems, not just watch others do it. “Our job isn’t just to teach them to code,” said one mentor. “It’s to help them see that their ideas, their voices, and their teamwork have power.”

The New Zealand High Commission’s grant support makes all of this possible. Without it, these tools, this space, and this kind of hands-on tech learning would be out of reach for many.

What’s Next?
We’re ready to grow—reaching more kids, in more schools, from Rarotonga to the Pa Enua. Right here in this small computer lab, future leaders, innovators, engineers, and creators are discovering their potential. Each day, they’re building skills, exploring new tech, and finding their place in the world of STEM and robotics. It’s exciting to witness.

Want to support our mission?

Register your child for the next cohort: Seats are limited so Click here to join the waitlist
Volunteer your skills or time: email us connect@cocobots.org
Donate gear, snacks, or sponsorship—everything helps!

We are in need of new computer hardware, software licensing, and new robotics kits to expand out program to more kids. If you’d like to join our team as a volunteer, we need help with social media management, graphics design, fundraising and sponsorships, and mentors willing to teach our kids in afterschool or school holiday programs.