There’s always talk about about the importance of imparting skills in technology at an early age. It’s one of those no-brainers in an increasingly tech world, and Zimbabwe also needs to pay attention to that reality.
The fact is, locally this is not done enough. Whether in public or private education institutions, there’s still a lot of work that is not being carried or picked up, something which thankfully is now being addressed by different players. One such group is the ICT Generation.
The name doesn’t instantly register as a household name, even for people knee-deep in local tech. But the work that its members has been involved in has managed to catch the attention of a lot of people.
Last year, this youth collective, which is based at local tech hub Hypercube, was behind Zimbabwe’s first participation in the Hour of Code and the follow up Battle of Code contest held earlier this year. Now ICT Generation is coordinating the Week of Computer Science Education for School Children.
From the 20th to the 25th of April 2015, The ICT Generation , through its ICT GEN Tech Lab, will be conducting a training course in technology targeted at children that have a keen interested in three broad aspects of technology.
You can register children for this course by following this link.
Through three modules on computer programming, robotics and electronics, the course is meant to ensure that elementary concepts are passed on by the relevant material and tutorship to participating students.
According to Sheima Muguza, the team lead at ICT Generation, this program is meant to build on the success of the Hour of Code and it borrows from the extensive curriculum for interactive learning provided by code.org, the entity behind Hour of Code that has received a lot of support from investors and globally recognised tech entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerburg.
The cost has been put at $25 for each of the three modules, but participants who register for all three will pay only $50. These costs cover the materials, resources and refreshments used for the course. It is open to any child aged 6 years and above.
Parents that put their children through this course can look forward to their children’s exposure to skills in graphic based computer programming, virtual robotics and basic electronics (with an introduction to the use of Raspberry Pi and Arduino Kits) as well as just the right approach to concepts related to this like geometry, algebra and basic physics. The whole course also emphasizes aspects such as team building and collaboration.
There will be a free hour of demonstration on 2 separate days on the 20th (1 – 2 pm) and the 25th (10-11 am) of April which will show how the programme will benefit children.
If you are interested in getting your child involved in this or understanding more about the course, you can get information on the ICT generation website, www.ictgen.co.zw or by contacting Hypercube Hub.
