About Us

Let me start by saying—I’m not a coder. I’m learning right alongside the kids. What I am is a mom. A proud mom of a child who loves computers.

As a parent, I noticed something surprising: so much of our community space, energy, and after-school programming is devoted to sports—but very little is dedicated to technology. Yet there are so many kids, like my son, who are passionate about coding, robotics, 3D printing, gaming, and all things tech.

These kids often end up learning alone—at home, with headphones on, disconnected from their peers. I wanted to change that. I wanted to build a place where tech-loving kids could come together, feel at home, and thrive. A place to explore their creativity, collaborate, and connect with others who share their passions.

That’s how this club began.

We offer a student-driven program where kids move at their own pace and follow their interests. We provide rich curriculum pathways in Scratch, HTML, JavaScript, Arduino, Java, Unity 3D, and more. Our space is also equipped with a full makerspace, robots, drones, VR, and 3D printers—it's a virtual STEM wonderland designed for hands-on exploration and discovery.

STEAM with Friends (and Make New Ones!)

We believe learning is better with friends. STEAM is social—and when kids collaborate, share ideas, and work side-by-side, they build not only skills but confidence and community.

That’s why we group kids by peer group rather than experience level. Because we track each student’s progress individually, we’re able to let friends learn together—even if they’re working on totally different concepts or technologies. It’s one of the things families love most about our program.

We’re thrilled to be part of the growing tech education movement here in the Pacific Northwest. If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you!

Warmly,
Robin Smiley, Co- Founder

About Steve

Steve Reed is a mechanical and biomedical engineer who relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 2019 to serve as President and CEO of a local nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities—while embracing a life filled with backcountry skiing, fishing, and biking.

Steve began his career as a bioengineer at the University of Michigan, where he coded airbag burn models, managed pulmonary testing data, and helped adapt computer technologies for individuals with disabilities. After completing a research project on automotive seating comfort, he was recruited into automotive R&D, where he designed and patented systems to protect occupants from whiplash injuries. He spent over 18 years in the seating industry, rising to Chief Engineer and serving in expatriate roles in both Germany and Brazil.

The Bellingham Coding and Robotics Club brings together Steve’s strengths in team development, hands-on training, and inclusive problem-solving, along with his entrepreneurial spirit. Robin’s idea to launch BCRC to give kids a space to explore technology, creativity, and collaboration in a supportive, project-based environment was something he whole-heartedly jumped in to support. Steve’s long-term goal is to launch a nonprofit connected to the club that expands access to technology and robotics for youth facing economic and educational barriers.