Who Said Girls Can’t Code
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Code Club is not complete without a group pic of Job Well Done!
With Beanbags and binary machines, Sujatha TechKids prove that girls can be the best in business too!
No matter it’s the tech industry or exam classroom, it is clear that computing is currently dominated by men. The software development sphere is no exception. But the recently concluded SLASSCOM TechKids Intro coding workshop at Sujatha Vidyalaya, Nugegoda (03/08/2019) proved this is changing and industry’s future will see an equal share of girl power.
Getting a code club started in a school is no easy task. Especially, when the word “coding” is unfamiliar to most students, parents, and educators in Sri Lanka. But Sujatha Vidyalaya planned it well. Months leading to code club launch, the teachers headed by Neranjala Udayangani did all the groundwork. With school administration’s buy-in, the parents were convinced and students were well prepared and motivated and the stage is well set for a very successful code club launch. Sujatha showed that to start a code club in a school, all it takes is the motivation of few dedicated teachers.
With the corporate support by Sri Lanka’s Office of RRD, the global integrated communications provider, this TechKids code club attracted thirty bright young minds together to a modern tech workspace-like classroom. Dressed in specially made colourfulT-shirts that read Robotics and Code Club of Sujatha Vidyalaya, the girls sat on cozy and colorful beanbags with their laptops, ready to learn the most vital digital literacy skill of the future.
The wonder women who made it all possible (L-R ThiliniSooriyaarachchi, IsuriWijesena, Neranjala Udayangani, ChathumadhuriRatnayaka, DanujaMunasinghe ,and ThinithiPalayangoda)
First, they were taken through a series of coding fundamentals followed by well-structured hands-on projects using MIT’s block-based programming language, Scratchwhich created specifically to teach kids coding. After the initial support from volunteers, most kids were self-driven and highly motivated completing the coding tasks in record time. It’s a day full of creativity, collaboration, and fun-filled excitement.
The Scratch session was followed by a physical computing component using BBC Micro: bits. The kids were fascinated by how their logical thoughts were translated into various shapes on a 5×5 LED grid based “fit-on-the-palm” size programmable microcomputer. Micro:bits (which can be used to create really cool stuff from robots to your very own musical instruments) have already made a huge impactamong the school girls in the UK. After introducing Micro:bits, the interest level for Computer Science/ICT increased from 23% to anastonishing 70% and 88% said “micro:bit helped them see coding isn’t as difficult as they thought it was”according to Micro:bit official website www.microbit.org .
With the introduction of Scratch and Micro:bits to the national ICT curriculum, SLASSCOM Tech Kids foresees a greater need to start after school code clubs in all schools.
The girls were well supported both by teachers and role model volunteers from the tech industry (Roshni Johnson from Aeturnum, Ishara Illangasinghe from WSO2, Athma Perera and Haja Moin from RRD).
With the summer break around the corner, the kids departed with a lot of anticipation for more fun-filled coding sessions as Sujatha Vidyalaya Nugegoda became the first school to set up an ALL GIRLS TechKids Code club in Sri Lanka. Congratulations Sujatha!
About SLASSCOM TechKids
SLASSCOM TechKids is an entirely free educational initiative geared towards developing Coding and Computational Thinkings kills among children in Sri Lanka. This initiative which is funded by IKT-Norge is facilitated by an island-wide network of volunteers from both companies and schools.
So far SLASSCOM TechKids has taught 543 students island-wide and it’s growing. TechKids has reached kids in almost all regions such as Anuradhapura, Ampara, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Galle, Kandy, Batticaloa etc. making learning to code a reality to many less privileged students in Sri Lanka. Being a growth leader for Code Club International UK (part of Raspberry Pi Foundation), SLASSCOM TechKidsis committed to reaching out to every part of the country to help young minds to realize their tech and creative potential through coding and computational thinking.
If you are interested in setting up a TechKids Code Club at your school, institution, library or community center, call us on
0777 062384 NOW!