Coding for Future Success
Social entrepreneur and founder of the Young Scholars Foundation Shanese Watson is on a mission to ensure Jamaican children are equipped for the digital revolution. She does this through her Tech Bloc Coding Bootcamp which she introduced in 2019 primarily to under-resourced children. With dedication, and valuable partners such as the Flow Foundation, Watson’s programme is now on course to enroll 1000 students by the end of August.
Computer coding has emerged as an important skill for today’s children as societies evolve into a digital economy with technology at its core. What is coding, you may ask? Simply put, coding is how humans talk with computers. According to freecodecamp.org, coding is the process of transforming ideas, solutions and instructions into the language that the computer can understand.
This skill has become increasingly important as jobs of the future will require a workforce that is technologically adept. In fact, it is estimated that 80 per cent of jobs over the next decade will require skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Asian countries have long been recognised as leaders in coding education, and others such as the USA, Israel and Australia all make significant investments in coding education at the primary school level. Watson says coding education should be a priority for Jamaican children if the country is to achieve some of its national development goals.
“My vision is to see a Jamaica where a high percentage of our children are digitally literate with not just how to navigate social media but using games and online resources to understand coding and having a high enthusiasm towards STEM,” said Watson.
“In the Eastern parts of the world children start coding at 12 and because of this early development, at age 19 students are designing products and technological tools that is contributing to their country’s economic development.”
In May, Watson placed second in the Governor General’s Programme for Excellence Pitch for Tech competition, of which the Flow Foundation is a sponsor. The competition, which promotes mission-driven work, was part of the I Believe Initiative’s 3rd Annual General Meeting. As part of her prize, the Flow Foundation donated three tablets to the Tech Bloc Coding Bootcamp which helps to facilitate student learning.
“The tablets were given to students who will be participating in the coding camp and who lack the resources such as tablets and computers. We are extremely elated that Flow Foundation has helped us to start this digital transformation at the primary school level,” she said. Watson further added that coding cultivates good life habits and aids in a child’s cognitive development.
“Coding is important to learn because computer programming teaches children to experiment and gives them the confidence to be creative,” said Watson. “They will have the chance to design something that is entirely their own and children thrive off the feedback they get from creating something they love.”
