Code Crew Coaches Kids CSS, HTML

Shawna O'Neill, Special to TC Media
Code Crew Coaches Kids CSS, HTML
Shelby Bastarache (left)

CORNWALL, Ontario – The Code Mobile ventured to Williamstown Public school on Wednesday, June 13, and students got to learn the basics of computer coding. The Code Mobile will be at Morrisburg Public School and Central Public school on June 14. 

“Today at the school we were at, we were actually teaching game making with a program called Scratch,” said Shelby Bastarache, the Communications Lead for the Code Mobile based in Peterborough. “So it’s beginner friendly with coding, and the kids can see the coding they’re building themselves.”

The Code Mobile is a one-year pilot program with Canada Learning Code, formerly known as Ladies Learning Code. There are presently 13 Code Mobiles across Canada, and the program has been made possible through a federal government grant with the CanCode Initiative. The $7.9 million grant has been invested into vans, technology, staff, and free workshops.

“Through the Code Mobile, we’re able to reach even more people,” said Steve Blair, Education Lead for the Code Mobile based in Peterborough. “We have public workshops like in Cornwall, we have a volunteer doing weekend workshops for adults and kids. But to reach kids in schools and community centres and camps, where there’s already a group of kids, we have the Code Mobile set up. We have laptops and robots and all sorts of stuff there. If there’s kids are from kindergarten to grade 12, we will make it happen.”

According to Blair, his Code Mobile currently has 28 laptops. All services with the Code Mobile are free. Children get to learn several techniques, like how to build and design a website.

“Everything we do is kind of beginner friendly,” said Blair. “We want people to get exposure to what coding and technology is like, and help them with that stepping stone.”

The company started out six years ago and it encouraged women to become more involved with the evolving technology industry. Today there are still adult courses available, and the programs help participants develop basic code and design skills.

“A lot of the women were coming through the program saying ‘I wish I had this when I was a kid.’ So that’s why we have the Code Mobile and kids programs so they can try it out,” said Blair.

Blair acknowledges that there is an education gap when it comes to computer coding. Coding can be applicable to several jobs today and believes that children should have the opportunity to try it to see if they are interested learning more.

To learn more or book a Code Mobile, go to codemobile.ca and enter your postal code. A team will sort it out the logistics of which Mobile is closest to you. To learn more about adult classes, go to Cornwall.canadalearningcode.ca. 

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