Code.org

What Code.org is

Code.org is a nonprofit that publishes free computer science and AI curriculum for kindergarten through high school, along with the coding environment students use to work through it. Since 2026 it has operated under the name CodeAI: the home page announces that "Code.org has become CodeAI", and the footer notes that "Code.org" is now a former trademark of the organization. The product is used mainly by teachers and schools, who assign courses to their classes, but parents and students can use it directly too. The site says that "Student courses, tools and activities on CodeAI are free", and the About page describes the organization as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by donors.

According to the About page, in 2013 twin brothers Hadi and Ali Partovi "launched Code.org with a video arguing that every student should learn computer science." The Hour of Code that followed "gave millions of students the chance to write their first line of code." The careers note on the partners page says the organization is based in Seattle, with many team members working remotely.

Why the name changed

The rename reflects a wider subject list. The home page states that 84% of students already use AI, while "only 16% of high school leaders say all their students are learning about it in school." The About page adds that "Three-quarters of high schoolers say AI fluency will matter more in the future than it does now", and says that gap "is why the Hour of Code became the Hour of AI, and why Code.org became CodeAI." The organization now frames its goal as digital fluency, which it defines as "the ability to understand, direct, question, and create with technology", built from three subjects: computer science, AI science and data science.

The curriculum by grade

The teachers page lists the courses with their grade bands:

• Computer Science Fundamentals (grades K-5), a set of elementary curricula covering the foundational concepts of computer science.
• Computer Science Connections (grades 3-5), which ties computer science to math, language arts, science and social studies.
• How AI Makes Decisions (grades 3-5), an introduction to AI and machine learning that stresses "its pattern-based logic rather than perceiving it as magical or random."
• Computer Science Discoveries (grades 6-10), an introductory course that treats computer science and AI as a medium for creativity, communication and problem solving.
• AI Discoveries (grades 6-8), a middle school course on how to use AI and how to think about it.
• Computer Science Principles (grades 9-12), a free year-long curriculum on the foundations of computing and its impact.
• Computer Science A (grades 9-12), an introduction to software engineering and object-oriented design in Java, offered as a free curriculum for AP® Computer Science A.
• AI Foundations (grades 9-12), in which students "go from understanding how AI works to building web apps with AI as a creative partner."

The About page describes the AI science strand as covering "machine learning, model training, data, and the bias, misinformation, and ethical questions" around AI, and says the data science strand lets students question what AI produces by understanding the data behind it. On contested topics the organization says "we do not prescribe what to think. Our curriculum encourages inquiry while avoiding political or moral positions."

Labs and tools

Students do their work in a set of browser labs, each with an age range. Sprite Lab is a block-based animation builder for ages 5-12. Python Lab, for ages 13-18, is described as a "Student-friendly IDE that runs real Python code." Web Lab, also ages 13-18, lets students build web apps in HTML, CSS and JavaScript with AI support. Music Lab (ages 10-18) is for making music with code, Mix & Move with AI Lab covers ages 8-18, and AI Chat Lab (ages 14-18), available only through the curriculum, lets students experiment with AI models. A student-facing AI Tutor is offered for ages 11-18, and teachers get an AI Teaching Assistant described as offering "time-saving tools and curriculum-aligned guidance."

For a class not ready for a full course, the Hour of AI is "a collection of introductory activities that give any classroom a first step into digital fluency." The teachers page features three: Mix & Move with AI (ages 8-13), AI for Oceans (ages 7-11), in which students train a machine learning model, and Music Lab: Jam Session (ages 8-14).

What teachers and schools get

Teachers sign up for free, and a Quick Start Guide walks them through choosing a first lesson and setting up a class, with "no digital sciences background required." The platform gives teachers and students "separate, purpose-built experiences": a dashboard that "keeps every class, lesson, and student progress in view", and for students "a focused space with step-by-step guidance." The site says it connects to leading LMS providers with "one-click Roster Syncing, Single Sign-On, and integrated access to curriculum."

Training is part of every course: "Every course comes with professional development built in. Choose from self-paced or facilitator-led." A free AI 101 course is open to any teacher, and a teacher community links educators across the country. Districts can join a District Program for curriculum, training and ongoing support, and the partners page says "Over 700 districts have already brought digital fluency to their schools!"

The curriculum is licensed under Creative Commons and can be used, adapted and remixed by educators for non-commercial purposes. The About page says the platform is kept "non-commercial, ad-free", and that the organization designs its tools "to comply with COPPA, FERPA, GDPR, and other leading privacy standards", collecting "the minimum data necessary to deliver our courses" and never selling student information. It also states a commitment to accessibility for students with disabilities. The site itself can be switched into many languages, including Spanish, Arabic, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Chinese.

Reach and recognition

The About page gives four headline figures: 150M+ students reached, 3M+ teachers engaged, 2B+ hours of learning, and 190 countries with students engaged. The home page adds that "Half of our student users identify as belonging to a group underrepresented in tech" and that advocacy work has supported policy in 50 states. Outside the US, the team works with more than 100 international partners and with ministries of education. In August 2026 the newsroom reported four wins in the "Best of AI" category of the 2026 Best of STEM® Awards, and announced a partnership with OpenAI to give students and educators access to tools and resources for learning to use AI responsibly.

Who it suits

Code.org suits a school or district that wants a complete, free K-12 sequence in computer science and AI, with training for teachers who have never taught the subject. An elementary teacher can start with an Hour of AI activity or CS Fundamentals; a high school can run CS Principles, AP Computer Science A in Java, or AI Foundations, with roster syncing into its existing LMS. Parents and individual students can use the same labs, from Sprite Lab blocks for young children to Python Lab and Web Lab for teens.

It is built around the classroom, so a parent who wants live tutoring or a paid course with an instructor will find a different kind of product here. The courses are designed to be taught, with lesson plans and teacher dashboards, and get the most out of a teacher or parent who sets up a class and guides students through it.