Wolfville, NS, (Dec. 19, 2018) — Coming into its third year running, Refresh Annapolis Valley has opened registration for its popular Creative Computing course for kids. Unlike previous years, the program is now free for participants. Beginning in January of 2019, Refresh’s Creative Computing course will be ready to teach kids the basics of software development using Scratch programming.
“Computer Scientists are everywhere solving problems in very diverse corners of society. The demand for Computer Scientists is only growing, yet we struggle as a province and country to meet industry needs. With our Creative Computing course we aim to nurture the next generation by tuning them into the creative power of computing,” said Michael Caplan, co-founder Refresh Annapolis Valley.
Targeted towards children aged 8 to 12, the course offers kids an opportunity to take a deeper dive into Computer Science that goes beyond the teachings of the public school system. Hosted at Acadia University, this three month, once a week program has children creating original works of interactive art, stories, and video games. Acting as a stepping stone to the more advanced world of computer science, Creative Computing aspires to help the next generation develop the fundamental literacy of the computer sciences.
“Technology has transformed our society, and Refresh Annapolis Valley has been successfully preparing our future workforce for the opportunities ahead. They are a leader in our community who inspire youth in rural Nova Scotia to embrace innovation and digital technology,” said Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, President & CEO, Digital Nova Scotia
RefreshAV will be running two cohorts, one for boys and girls, and another specifically for girls. Our goal is to encourage a wider pool of children to explore the world of computer science, especially girls. Women remain underrepresented in the industry, leaving plenty of untapped potential on the table.
“When we don’t encourage girls and women to embrace programming, or provide access to the many impactful career opportunities within the ICT sector and its spin-offs, we directly limit our ability as an industry, and as a country, to innovate,” says Bahr-Gedalia.
Capping of the course will be the #ScratchFest competition in April. Participants will work together to brainstorm an idea, flesh it out and develop it, and finally, showcase a final prototype to a group of judges. In a collaborative, creative, and playful environment, #ScratchFest will put to the test participants’ knowledge in Scratch.
For more information about Creative Computing and to register, please visit https://www.refreshannapolisvalley.org/event/cc/course-2019/.