Event coordinators aim to increase student interest in computer sciences
By Mercedes Deutscher, News Editor
Lighthouse Labs, a Canadian coding school, will be hosting (in conjunction with four other hosts: Innovation Central Society in Prince George, UBC Okanagan Innovative Learning Centre in Kelowna, and MetaLab in Victoria) an event called Codecreate at their Vancouver campus, slated to take place on December 5.
Codecreate was created as a tribute to the Hour of Code, a global campaign that aims to improve literacy in computer sciences. Hour of Code provides accessible free one-hour coding tutorials online, available in more than 40 different languages.
Codecreate has four objectives. The first objective is to improve coding literacy, which it compares to the likes of literacy in math, or reading. The second objective is to improve pragmatic and systematic thinking, in a fashion that allows users to think in ways helpful to computer sciences. The third objective is to help students use coding to their creative advantages. Ultimately, the final objective aims to encourage students to follow a career in computer sciences.
The Lower Mainland event aims to introduce local students into the world of computer programming.
“Whether it’s a program that provides easy-to-follow driving directions or an app that helps us track our monthly spending, software has become a significant part of our lives,” said Sam Sullivan, MLA for Vancouver False Creek, in a press release from Lighthouse Labs. “Learning how lines of code create the digital world we rely on is a fundamental skill that will serve this generation of job seekers well. I’m pleased to see Vancouver’s own Lighthouse Labs hosting this very important event.”
The event will benefit 400 students (80 to be hosted by Lighthouse), ranging from ages 8–18, from Lower Mainland school districts. It was made possible through funding support from the Government of BC through the BCTF’s Computer-Using Educators of BC.
