Thursday, April 17, 2025
At the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library in Valley Stream, a group of children huddles around screens, their eyes flicking between colorful blocks of code and the animations dancing on their screens. At the center of it all is Ilana Greenberg, a North Lawrence Academy senior with a passion for STEM and a mission to bring the world of programming to young learners.
Greenberg, 17, is no stranger to the library. She grew up roaming its aisles, first as a young reader, then as an aspiring coder. Now, she’s come full circle—leading a Scratch coding class designed to introduce children to the fundamentals of programming in a way that feels more like play than work.
“I first learned Scratch when I was 6 years old. My family taught it to me, and I remember being fascinated by how I could make characters move and interact just by assembling different blocks of code,” Greenberg said. “I wanted to give other kids that same experience—the joy of building something from scratch.”
Her class, which launched in early 2023, has since become a staple at the library. The program is built around Scratch, a block-based programming language developed by MIT to introduce children to coding concepts through interactive storytelling, game design, and animation. Unlike traditional coding languages, which rely on syntax and precise command structures, Scratch uses a visual interface that lets young programmers stack commands like puzzle pieces.
Greenberg’s teaching style is equal parts structure and improvisation. Each session begins with an unplugged activity — perhaps a game or logic puzzle — to illustrate core programming principles. From there, students move to their laptops, translating those concepts into animated characters and simple video games. The goal is not only to teach coding but also to nurture problem-solving skills and creativity.
“I try to make each lesson approachable for kids with no experience while also giving returning students a chance to build on what they’ve learned,” Greenberg said. “It’s been amazing to see how excited they get—sometimes they come back with new ideas, asking if we can create multiplayer games or add different scoring systems. I love adapting lessons to what interests them.”
Her students’ enthusiasm is matched by the library’s support. Greenberg initially pitched the idea for the class to library director Mamie Eng who helped her secure resources and schedule sessions. The initiative has since grown, drawing in kids eager to test their creativity in a digital space.
Beyond the technical skills, Greenberg sees coding as an invaluable tool for the future. “So many careers today involve programming in some way, even beyond the tech industry,” she said. “But more than that, coding teaches logical thinking, problem-solving, and perseverance. Those skills apply to any field.”
For Greenberg, Scratch was the gateway to a deeper love of STEM—one that led her to explore math, physics, and computer science. As she prepares to start at Yale next fall, she hopes the kids in her class will carry their own curiosity forward, whether into programming or any other passion they choose to pursue.
“Seeing them get excited about what they create—it’s really gratifying,” she said. “Hopefully, this is just the beginning for them.”
Have an opinion on this article? Send an email to jlasso@liherald.com.
