UT Tyler Offers Youth Code Jam for Children, Families April 11

April 2, 2026 | Hannah Buchanan

Event Introduces Area PreK–Grade 8 Students to STEM Learning

The University of Texas at Tyler School of Education will host the UT Tyler Youth Code Jam 1 – 4 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Ornelas Activity Center, located at 3402 Old Omen Road in Tyler. This event offers a hands-on STEM experience for students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8 across East Texas.

“The event is designed to introduce young learners and their families to coding, robotics and technology through engaging, interactive activities,” said Dr. Michael Odell, UT Tyler professor of STEM education and event coordinator. “Participants will have the opportunity to explore beginner coding, robotics and engineering challenges, digital creativity and game design in a supportive and fun environment.”

The Youth Code Jam is open to all public, private and homeschool students ages 4–14. No prior coding experience is required, making the event accessible to beginners and those new to STEM learning, Odell said. To register, visit: uttyler.edu/youth-code-jam. For more information, email Odell at modell@uttyler.edu.

Parents or guardians are required to attend with their children. The first 200 student participants will receive a UT Tyler Youth Code Jam T-shirt. Registration is requested but not required, Odell added.

Event sponsors include the UT Tyler College of Education and Psychology and School of Education.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 11,500 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.