The 29th of August marked a huge milestone for CodeNgwana. In line with their vision of improving the digital skills of African children, the organisation has graduated its first cohort of coding class learners and officially launched their first Coding Club.
The graduates are a group of 18 Grade 4 learners from Streetlight School who have completed a Foundation Phase Python Fundamentals programme which was taught over three months. During this period the learners were taught the following programming concepts during practical extra mural classes:
– Algorithms
– How to use the Print Function
– How to declare variables
– Python Tuples
– Different data types
– Declaration of variables
Python is a programming language which is widely used in software development across the globe, in countless organisations. The graduates of this first cohort have been empowered to take the first steps in preparing for their careers as participants of the workforce of the future.
CodeNgwana offers a structured curriculum which is taught as an extramural activity and provides Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase, as well as Advanced Phase learning. The graduates of the first cohort will proceed to the Intermediate Phase of Python programming where they will be taught on the following topics:
– How to create dictionaries
– How to use IF statements and loops
– Introduction to arrays
Founded in 2016, Streetlight School is an inner-city school located in Jeppestown, Johannesburg. The school aims to improve access to quality education for children in underserved communities so as to empower them to transform their lives.
“I really want to thank Noluvuyo and CodeNgwana for the work they did with our students by teaching them Python. There are two big things for me, first being that Noluvuyo has worked in the industry, and is able to teach our students the kinds of skills and experience that they need to learn; as well as expose them to what those skills and coding looks like. Second is the ability to explore and understand computational concepts and thinking while coding simultaneously. This is what is most powerful in her approach” says David Fu, CEO at Streetlight School.
“The changes I have seen is that the kids interest in computers has grown immensely, we even get letters from them asking to take computers home so they can practice more – it’s truly phenomenal to see how they are thinking bigger. One of the major improvements I have seen is that the kids really enjoy sharing their newly learnt programming knowledge; I often notice them sitting in groups and tutoring one another on coding. This shows the excitement and passion they are developing for coding,” says Beve-Lee van der Merve, Director of Operations of Streetlight School shared proudly.
Hosted at Streetlight School, the ceremony was an exciting morning where fellow school mates gathered to celebrate their graduating peers. The guest speaker was InspiringFifty 2019 Winner and Technology Leader Aphiwe Hotela who spoke to the children about the impact of technology, encouraged the learners to enjoy their learning journey and shared valuable affirmations to grow their confidence.
The founder of CodeNgwana, Noluvuyo Mpekelana says, “Its heartwarming to see the kids confidently graduating as the very first cohort. These are children who may not have been exposed to technology yet have shown the potential and ability to amazing things. This shows me that the opportunities for impact are endless and it’s up to us avail the resources and opportunities to them to set the up for growth.”
Launching the Coding Club
CodeNgwana together with Streetlight School has launched their Coding Club. This is a unique way in which a digital culture is being built and nurtured amongst the learners of the School. The Coding Club is a space where the learners can engage with technology in a fun and meaningful way. There are many proven benefits to introducing a digital culture to children from a young age which include growing technical skills and soft skills such as teamwork, engaging with their peers, presentation skills, resilience, and confidence. Through this, CodeNgwana and Streetlight School aim empower their learners with the skills that they can extend beyond their classrooms and into their community of Jeppestown.
About CodeNgwana
CodeNgwana is an organisation that helping African kids to go and grow digital by teaching them how to code. The organisation was founded by Noluvuyo Mpekelana in 2018 with the purpose of improving digital skills in Africa. In addition to extra mural lessons, CodeNgwana offers Holiday Programs, Coding Camps, Private Coding Lessons and Kids Hackathons to children between the ages of three and 12.
They can be contacted on the following platforms:
Email – info@codengwana.co.za
Facebook – CodeNgwana
Instagram – @codengwana
Twitter – @CodeNgwana
Website – www.codengwana.co.za
CodeNgwana graduates first Python programming cohort and launches coding club
