On 19 October, Nova Pioneer North Riding hosted its first Cupcakes and Coding event at their Jackal Creek based campus. The three-hour-long workshop taught teachers from all over Johannesburg the basics of Swift coding, which is a language used by some of the top application developers worldwide.
Coding 101
As a school network group, we want to play an integral part in the sustainability of education on the African continent. The Cupcakes and Coding concept was born as a first step to achieving this goal. The class, offered free of charge, was inspired by our wish to equip all learners with the skills needed for future jobs.
Preparing for jobs of the future
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has emerged as a buzz word in tech and education spaces worldwide. Initiatives such as this serve to pre-empt disparities in the education system which are suspected to widen as a result of the shift in how we engage with the world.
In the next 50 years, there will be more young people in Africa than anywhere else in the world… How do we build a future for those young people and how do we get them ready for jobs that don’t exist yet?
Our schools have implemented robotics and coding in their curriculum as early as Grade R and it is our wish to share the knowledge with local educators through our Cupcakes and Coding event. The name came about to add an element of fun to the event and attendees are all given cupcakes.
An opportunity to share knowledge
The aim was for teachers to learn from the morning workshop, taught by Demi Naidoo of Think Ahead Education Solutions, and pass on their knowledge to their schools. This forms part of Nova Pioneer’s ideals of positive change beyond our own role as a school.
Article first published in the Randburg Sun
