Coding Camps designed to “expose” youths to technology
─ coding camps being hosted in Essequibo, Berbice and Linden
DPI, Guyana-Wednesday, 15 August 2018
As part of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications’ efforts to enhance the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Guyana, it is hosting coding camps for youths across the nation.
According to Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, these coding camps which are being hosted in Essequibo, Berbice and Linden, are designed to “expose” young people to the technology. The minister noted that many of them have never “connected with a computer in terms of the backend of it.”
During a recent trip to Linden, the Public Telecommunications Minister paid a visit the coding camp held at the Linden Technical Institute where she expressed her excitement seeing the progress the children have made and the skills they have developed.
Minister Hughes remarked that “we want to be the innovators, we do not want to be just the users of technology and this is the foundation.” She stated that it would be remiss of the ministry to continue to speak of “creating a digital country and not provide opportunities for people to learn those skills.”
Laurence James, a facilitator of the coding camp in Linden, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the five-week initiative caters for youths between the ages of nine and fifteen, and covers a variety of topics which include processing, Python and Microbit.
James was optimistic that at the conclusion of the camp, the young participants would be able to create a “decent application” using the skills and knowledge gained.
Nine-year-old Jabri King told DPI “code camp is fun,” disclosing that he aspires to be “a web developer” when he grows up.
Brea Barton expressed her satisfaction with the initiative noting that she finds it “very educational and fun.”
Anara Khan
Images: Karime Peters