The CITCx curriculum departs from traditional subject-based learning by synergising different disciplines – like science – with code, and linking theory to real-world applications.

For many kids, this was their first taste of an interdisciplinary approach to coding and STEM, and their first introduction to science. Here’s what they taught us about the power of opportunity and interdisciplinary tech education.

Synergising disciplines opens up possibilities for imagination, curiosity, and application.

It could be argued that trying to teach kids about two things at once encourages breadth at the expense of depth. But what we’ve seen is that widens kids’ sense of possibility, stirs up their interest, and encourages them to synergise information and connect the dots from a young age.

In this case, as kids learn to code, science concepts and their real world applications are integrated into the curriculum – something that excited kids like Kelly and David, who are both 8 years old.

“We learnt 2 things at one time! I was very excited to get to learn science,” exclaimed David. Because Science is only introduced to the mainstream school curriculum for older kids, the camp exposed them to concepts like photosynthesis and gravity, piquing their curiosity and interest in the subject through accessible entry points like videos and games.

For example, they worked on a game about space – Kelly and David’s favourite project of the camp. “I have never been to space before and I want to know what it looks like,” David said. Combining that knowledge with code, Kelly programmed a game with rockets. 

Leveraging their basic coding skills, they could apply what they learned by creating projects to visualise and apply their learnings in block-based platform Scratch, connecting the dots with their own experiences and curiosities. Like Ethan, age 9, who created a garden-themed animation. “I have plants at home, and it’s pretty fun. I added an extra feature to my project so that after it grows into a rose, it starts to wither.”

Learning life skills through code is more important than learning to code.

Not every child dreams of being an engineer, and the world has no need for an entire generation of software engineers. But what every child – whether from a place or privilege or disadvantage – does need, is a set of soft skills that’ll help them thrive and navigate the complexities of the world.

Beyond code, we emphasise life skills like managing failure, teamwork and creativity that’ll enable kids to solve problems, whether in the workplace, in their personal lives, or for other people.

For example, anyone who’s tried to code will know that debugging is an inevitable part of the process, and that perseverance is a key quality that any coder who hopes for their project to see the light of day needs to have. It’s no different for our kid coders . While trying to build a game in Scratch, David had envisioned characters against a changing backdrop. There wasn’t enough time for him to make this work during class, but he’s resolute about not giving up. “I didn’t manage to solve it but I’m still trying to solve it at home!” he told us at the end of the camp.

Another who took to the challenges in class exceptionally quickly took it on himself to help his classmates out – going between tables to help his friends troubleshoot their projects. It’s not the most complicated coding projects that make us the proudest, but instances like this that make us hopeful about the kids shaping the future.

Curiosity in the classroom is just the start.

One of our favourite questions to ask kids is what they want to do with a mastery of coding. Kaelyn, age 11, wanted to make a model of the Eiffel Tower, while Luke, age 12, wanted to make a website. Moshe, also 11 years old, wants to create a material that could change shape. “I would use it to help the economy by constructing buildings and reaching high places to build tall buildings.” he told me. 

Ethan, Kelly and David wanted to make more of their own games. “I also wish to make a platform game, because it’s very hard,” said David. “How in the world can you make the person stand on the platform?” he wondered aloud. 

That curiosity is the perfect place to start. 

As a social enterprise, our mission is to inspire kids to create a better future with code – whether that’s an entertaining game, or an engineering marvel. The reason why we exist is to equip kids with the skills and support they need to realise their potential and the potential of tech. This is a particularly pressing gap for kids from lower-income families or disadvantaged circumstances. Technology and education can be great levellers, but we have to act fast as a community to bridge the gaps before they widen, so every child has a fair shot at shaping the future in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Back in 2020, we launched CITCx as an extension of Code in the Community to meet the need for disadvantaged kids to learn in ways that enable them to lean into the future. Companies and individuals have stepped up to the plate to lend their support to these kids, and we tell these stories so as to reach anyone with an eye on the future of work and learning, who wants to ensure that no kid gets left behind. If that’s you, we’d love for you to join our movement alongside the likes of impact-driven tech companies and individuals like Skyscanner, Google, EPAM, SAP, IMDA, GovTech, Cognizant, Micron and more. Say hello here.

The post The Kids of CITCx on What They Learned through an Interdisciplinary Approach to Coding appeared first on Saturday Kids | Coding, Digital Literacy for Kids & Parents.

Earlier in September, we launched CITCx – interdisciplinary tech scholarships for Code in the Community graduates, formulated with the aim of expanding the exposure kids from disadvantaged backgrounds receive to the intersections of tech and real world topics in STEM.

In this pilot, 60 CITCx scholars completed a 3 day bootcamp – adapted from our new camp Code Explorers 1: Science and the Natural World, which synergises kids’ curiosity about science with the possibilities of code. In each class, kids code up Scratch projects that visualise and process what they’ve learned about topics like marine waste, the digestive system, and clean energy. In the process, they develop creativity, their capacity for self-directed learning, and a growth mindset to take on the world’s big questions as set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. (Shoutout to our sister ed-tech company Doyobi for developing this new curriculum as part of their mission to help kids grow into original thinkers with a sense of purpose.)

Curious what that actually looks like? Hear from Owen, a 15 year old from our first batch of CITCx scholars (and scroll down to the end of the post for a sneak peek from the classroom).

“I enjoy the hands-on stuff for science in school. If we just learn the theory, it may be very boring, because we don’t know how it works in real life.

But when we do practicals, we get to have real-life experience about how things work, and here we actually get to do hands-on stuff such as coding and learn how does things get invented in real life, instead of just using it.”

  – Owen, 15

Scholarships that bridge the digital literacy gap, deepen opportunity, and widen access.

Beyond the mandatory 10 hours of digital literacy Singaporean kids complete in school, opportunities to learn how to code and programme are typically priced out of reach for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. With most commercial coding classes for kids averaging around $40 an hour, and often requiring access to hardware that families might not be able to afford, the road towards bridging the digital literacy gap is long.

But with CITCx, we’re taking baby steps to level out the playing field, because we can’t afford to leave any child behind.

What we’ve learned from the first 3 years of running Code in the Community is this:

1. While digital literacy is not an examinable subject – it is more urgent than ever.
2. For most kids, learning about tech requires ongoing input, practice, and coaching.
3. Access to high-touch programmes and to hardware is the heart of the issue.

With that, it’s feedback like this from our pilot that affirms we’re doing something right – even when our goals seem daunting, and our efforts like a drop in the ocean.

“I know what being on the wrong side of the Gini coefficient means and feels like. I’m living in it. Under such circumstances, learning something educational and useful such as coding is a godsend to the underprivileged in the community. ”

-Buddy, CITC parent

Get involved: Together, let’s leave no child behind.

Our goal to bridge the digital literacy gap is a lofty one, and we can’t do it alone.

This pilot was personally sponsored by Caesar Sengupta who heads Google’s Next Billion Users initiative, and the next run of CITCx (December 2020) will be funded by Skyscanner – an organisation that’s remained ever committed to social impact, even through the challenges posed to the travel industry by the pandemic.

We’re excited to harness the collective strength of community to enable kids from all backgrounds to use technology to shape a better future for themselves and others. And as CITCx grows and scales, we’re seeking organisations, companies, and sponsors who care as much about making digital literacy accessible to under-privileged kids as we do. If that describes you, we’d love you to reach out.

In the meantime, check out our 2020 Impact Report, and sneak a peek into our first run of CITCx below.

The post Introducing CITCx : Interdisciplinary Tech Scholarships for Code in the Community graduates appeared first on Saturday Kids | Coding, Digital Literacy for Kids & Parents.