Coding skills development initiative CodeJIKA is inviting South African high school learners and teachers to apply for free coding and Web development training courses.
CodeJIKA is an initiative of non-profit organisation Code for Change. The organisation says it believes that exposing youth to coding and computer-based skills develops their computational and critical thinking skills and shows them how to create, not simply use, new technologies.
Optimised for both desktop and mobile learning, the CodeJIKA programme teaches foundational coding, Web development and computer science skills, and it can be accessed online at no charge by both learners and teachers.
According to Code for Change, the CodeJIKA programme was created primarily for under-resourced, offline, mobile-oriented schools and communities, with the aim to create a generation of African digital entrepreneurs.
The CodeJIKA initiative is also dedicated to raising awareness around the need for computer science and coding to be formally adopted in schools across Southern Africa.
“Given the new reality of work ushered in by the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more critical for South African youth to become skilled in a discipline that will become increasingly more important in the future of work,” says CodeJIKA co-founder Jonathan Novotny.
Since CodeJIKA’s launch in 2017, the organisation says it has reached over 250 schools, 26 500 learners and 1 520 teachers through the establishment of coding clubs in local schools. Fast forward to 2020 and the offering has evolved to an online platform allowing students to quickly and easily begin their coding education.
The organisation works closely with the Department of Basic Education for the increased uptake of computer science in South African schools and to ensure these skills are transferred into formal education policy or curriculum revision in the future.
CodeJIKA will provide high school learners with access to free online training that will teach them important coding and Web development skills. For educators, CodeJIKA will, at no charge, provide participants with training that will allow them to teach critical coding and computer science skills to their learners.
Community organisations, school governing bodies and fellow education NPOs can apply to partner with CodeJIKA to roll out the CodeJIKA programme across their school or community.
For more information on participating or partnering with CodeJIKA, visit www.codejika.com.
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