What Evergreen Code Actually Is
Evergreen Code is a structured technology education program that teaches kids how to think through problems, build things that work, and understand the systems they interact with every day. We're not a bootcamp, we're not YouTube tutorials with better lighting, and we're definitely not trying to turn every 10-year-old into a startup founder.
What we are doing is filling a gap that I kept seeing: kids are surrounded by technology but have almost no understanding of how it works or how to create with it intentionally. They're passive users in a world that rewards active builders. That always felt backwards to me.
I started Evergreen Code because I believe technology isn't just a career path—it's a foundational skill, like reading or math. And like those subjects, it needs structure, progression, and someone who actually knows how to teach it.
About the Founder
My name is Jeff, and I'm the founder of Evergreen Code. I’m a Junior studying Finance and Informatics at the University of Washington, where Evergreen Code was founded my Freshman year in my dorm room because my parents kept complaining that my younger sister wasted too much time playing Roblox and Minecraft.
Before starting Evergreen Code, I spent 3 years as a tutor for various Advanced Placement (AP) subjects like Calculus and Chemistry, as well as starting a small business teaching swimming at my local YMCA. I also spent the summer before college building digital political education systems for 18 different countries in collaboration through the US State Department. I’ve worked with kids as young as 5 all the way to senior political leaders on sustainable, impactful work.
Outside of Evergreen Code, I’m an avid language learner (6 so far, working on 7), a freelance Disc Jockey (DJ), and a full time food lover. I've lived in Seattle for 8 years now, and I'm proud to call this city my home.
What drives me every day is pretty simple: I believe every kid deserves to understand the technology that shapes their world, and I built Evergreen Code to make that happen the right way.
How I Got Here (The Less Boring Version)
I didn't grow up planning to teach kids to code. Honestly, I didn't even grow up wanting to teach at all. What I did love was building things—specifically, building things that worked the way they were supposed to work.
I was the kid who took apart remote controls (and occasionally got them back together). I was obsessed with understanding why things functioned the way they did. Not just computers, but systems in general. Why did this process work and that one fall apart? Why was this intuitive and that one frustrating?
There was a moment—I must have been in middle school—when I realized that design wasn't just about aesthetics. It was about whether something actually made sense to the person using it. A badly designed system doesn't just look ugly; it fails people. That stuck with me.
Fast forward a bit, and I found myself doing something I never expected.
Building Education Systems for 18 Countries (No Pressure)
Before Evergreen Code, I spent time working with the State Department on digital youth political education systems. The short version: I helped build platforms that taught young people across 18 countries how to engage with civic processes, understand policy, and participate in democracy.
The long version: it was one of the most challenging and humbling experiences of my life.
We were working with political leaders, educators, and young people from vastly different contexts—different languages, different levels of digital access, different political structures. And the stakes were real. These weren't just practice projects. If the system was confusing, people didn't learn. If it wasn't accessible, people got left out. If it didn't respect users' intelligence, they tuned out.
I learned very quickly that clarity isn't optional. Structure isn't optional. When you're responsible for how someone learns something important, you don't get to be sloppy.
The work wasn't about politics in the way you might think—it was about education. How do you design a system that works for a 16-year-old in one country and a 22-year-old in another? How do you make something complex feel approachable? How do you build confidence in people who've never engaged with this kind of material before?
Those questions followed me everywhere after that.
What That Taught Me About How People Actually Learn
Here's what I figured out from building those systems:
Poorly designed systems don't just confuse people—they convince people they're not capable. I saw this constantly. Someone would struggle with a platform, not because they weren't smart enough, but because the platform itself was a mess. And then they'd internalize that struggle as personal failure. That's unacceptable.
Fundamentals beat shortcuts every single time. When we tried to skip steps or oversimplify, people got lost later. But when we built proper foundations, they could handle complexity down the line. Slow and steady actually wins.
Confidence is half the battle. I watched people go from "I can't do this" to "Wait, I think I figured it out" to "Can I try something harder?" once they had a few wins under their belt. That shift—from doubt to curiosity—is everything.
And here's the thing: all of this applies to kids learning technology.
When a child sits down to learn coding and the materials are chaotic, or the instructor rushes through fundamentals, or there's no clear progression, that kid doesn't think "This curriculum is bad." They think "I'm bad at this." And then they quit.
I'd seen that pattern play out at scale. I wasn't going to let it happen in my own backyard.
Why Evergreen Code Exists (The Real Answer)
I started noticing a pattern with the kids in my community. They were growing up surrounded by technology—using apps, playing games, watching videos—but they had no idea how any of it worked. And more importantly, no one was teaching them that they could understand it.
Most of the coding programs I saw were either too unstructured (random YouTube tutorials, here's Scratch, good luck) or too rigid (memorize this syntax, build exactly what we tell you). Neither approach actually taught kids how to think.
I wanted to create something different. A program where:
- Kids learned how systems work, not just how to copy code from ChatGPT
- Structure was built in, so no one got lost
- Fundamentals came first, because you can't build a house without a foundation
- Confidence mattered as much as skill
I wanted kids to walk away feeling capable. Not just "I learned Python," but "I can figure this out. I can build things. I understand how this works."
That's why Evergreen Code exists.
What I Actually Believe About Teaching (The Important Part)
Here's my philosophy:
Skills over memorization. I don't care if a kid can recite syntax. I care if they can solve a problem they've never seen before.
Understanding over speed. Some kids move fast. Some kids need more time. Both are fine. What matters is that they actually get it before moving forward.
Progression over exposure. Showing a kid 47 different tools doesn't help them. Teaching them one tool deeply, then building on it, does.
Confidence before complexity. If a kid doesn't believe they can do something, they won't even try. So we start with wins. Small ones, then bigger ones, then "wait, I built that?!" ones.
This isn't revolutionary. It's just good teaching. But it's surprising how often it gets skipped in the rush to make coding feel "fast" or "easy."
The People I Trust to Teach Your Kids
I'm picky about who works at Evergreen Code. Not because I need people with fancy degrees, but because teaching kids requires a specific kind of person.
I look for educators who:
- Explain things clearly without talking down to students
- Have patience for the 17th time someone asks "Wait, why didn't that work?"
- Communicate with parents honestly and respectfully
- Care about long-term development more than short-term results
Credentials matter less to me than mindset. I've met brilliant engineers who couldn't teach a kid to tie their shoes, and I've met patient educators who make complex ideas feel simple. I'll take the latter every time.
The people who teach at Evergreen Code understand that they're not just teaching coding—they're shaping how a child sees their own capabilities. That's a responsibility I take seriously, and I only work with people who take it seriously too.
What I Hold Evergreen Code To (The Standards Part)
Here's what you can expect from us, always:
Structured curriculum. Every lesson builds on the last. No random topic jumping.
Accountability. If something isn't working, we adjust. We don't blame the kid.
Respect for parents. Your time matters. Your questions matter. Your concerns matter.
Transparency. If your child is struggling, you'll know. If they're excelling, you'll know. No surprises.
Long-term thinking. We're not here to teach your kid one language and call it done. We're here to build a foundation that lasts.
I didn't build Evergreen Code to be the biggest program. I built it to be the one I'd trust with my own family. (Which, for the record, I do. My sister is in the program. She complains about it like any normal 12-year-old, but she keeps showing up. That's how I know it's working.)
Where This Is Going
My long-term vision for Evergreen Code is pretty straightforward: I want every kid who comes through our program to leave with two things:
- A solid understanding of how technology works
- The confidence to keep learning on their own
I'm not trying to create child prodigies or guarantee six-figure jobs. I'm trying to give kids the tools to navigate a world that's increasingly shaped by systems they should understand—not just use.
I also know that inviting someone to teach your child is a big deal. You're trusting us with their time, their development, and their self-concept. I don't take that lightly.
If you're curious about whether Evergreen Code might be a good fit for your family, I'd genuinely love to talk. No hard sell, no pressure—just a conversation about what your child needs and whether we're the right place to provide it.
You can explore our approach on the site, reach out with questions anytime, or schedule a free intro session to see how we work.
Every kid deserves to feel capable. That's what we're here for.
Want to learn more about how Evergreen Code works? Explore our curriculum or get in touch with any questions. We're always happy to talk.