Kidds' Coding Club, an after-school coding and computer science project is the brainchild of Ayanda Msipa, and we get to know where it all started.
The initial concept behind the idea was to share the knowledge and love for computers that I had with those around me.
As a current undergraduate student in Computing, a junior intern in Cisco Cybersecurity, and alumni of an initiative under Cisco that promotes and empowers women to enter into these technological spaces and make a name for themselves. This vast knowledge and exposure allowed me to see a gap in my community that is where the inception of KCC began to bridge the digital divide and speed up the transition of the underdeveloped and still developing communities into the Fourth Industrial revolution because as Africans we are always 10 steps behind with every revolution that comes along.
However, with the recent global pandemic, I thought why not use this time and crisis to my advantage and teach children how to code and program.
As a fellow undergraduate student at the University of South Africa, studying Computing, I decided to use my knowledge and skills for the better good of the community.
I have always been troubled by the fact that our educational system does not match up to relevant educational standards especially in regards to integrating ICT into the current learning system. When Covid-19 struck that was when the ugly reality of how far back our continent still is with catching up to the 4th Industrial Revolution."
Kidds Coding Club is an afterschool program that initially began as a project that I started during Lock-down period in 2020, however, it has always been a project that has been close to my heart but had no way to start it.
Coding for kids is the collection of opportunities available for children to get involved in coding. These opportunities aim to be fun and gamified to keep the young mind engaged.
I chose to teach children coding for several reasons :
1.Coders are in high demand
As mentioned, according to Code.org, 71% of all new STEM jobs are in computing, yet only 8%
of STEM graduates are in Computer Science. That’s a SERIOUS shortage of CS majors.
2. Coding improves creativity
When you learn a language, you use it to express yourself. The same is true with code.
Computer coding empowers kids to not only consume digital media and technology but to
create it. Instead of simply playing a video game or using an app, they can imagine making their
own video game, or envision what their website or app might look like—and they’ll have
the outlet for expression.
3. Coding improves problem-solving
When kids code, they take complex problems and break them down into smaller parts.
Kids learn what it’s like to approach a problem the way a software engineer does, with logical, computational thinking. As Dan Crow, CTO of SongKick explains, “Computational thinking teaches you how to tackle large problems by breaking them down into a sequence of smaller, more manageable problems.” This logical thinking is a powerful tool in school, work, and life.
My goal for KCC is not profit-orientated, rather my goal is fueled by my vision #Agenda2040 (see website). There are a lot of coding classes and clubs out there however they are more costly as they are profit-orientated and also do not cater to the average and low-income class.
Learning computer science or coding does not necessarily mean that you will endeavor in a
technology-related field, however when you look at how the world is developing, coding is
an extremely useful skill to possess.
There is an increasing number of businesses that rely on computer code, not just those in the technology sector. A child who learns how to code will have the advantage in life with more employment opportunities available to them in the future, no matter which industry they decide to enter whether it be in the technology sector, finance, retail, health. Learning to program while they
are young will set them up for a successful future.
In a nutshell, you are setting your child up for success by enrolling them to learn Computer science at an early age. Kidds' Coding Club is there to facilitate and nurture your child's journey into the technological space of the future.
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