Codecrafter

2015-04-28

New definition of computing power – kids who code

Shannon Landin co-founder Codecraft Lab The computer programming industry is facing a crisis today because only 2% of current students are studying computer science compared to the 98% studying all other math and sciences. That 2% is woefully inadequate when one considers the fact that computing jobs will constitute 60% of all jobs in the future compared to 40% of all other math and science jobs, according to Code.org.

Today, every industry is powered by code. Codecraft Lab is an important connector and advocate for making sure every student has a chance to gain the software skills that she or he can use in any industry. While many jobs of the future don’t even exist yet, we believe that computer programming skills and concepts will help students excel at any job tomorrow. Design, advertising, acting, sports, manufacturing, farming, teaching, aerospace engineering, or national security; all of these are improved with the use of computer programs. Keith Szewczyk, ITS Engineering general manager at GE agrees, “We all know our country needs to produce students skilled in STEM fields to fill jobs and continue our country’s tradition of innovation. GE is very pleased to support Codecraft Lab’s learn-to-code initiatives which we view as fundamental in the preparation of our next generation.” As part of our mission to create curriculum and opportunity for all kids to learn computer programming and computer science basics, we are building a coalition of thought leaders and Brevard County stakeholders in business to ensure every child has early access to unlocking their future with computer programming skills. In fact, Codecraft Lab is on the leading edge of a national movement to incorporate computer sciences into the education of all students. Our non-profit educational center is, quite simply, a space for elementary to high school students to learn about computer science and have a lot of fun while they are at it.

We have written our own two-semester, after-school curriculum that spirals up learning, and is proving to be a very positive application and reinforcement method of student classroom learning. Codecraft Lab’s work with young people spans across many development platforms to bridge interests and foster powerful engagement, critical thinking, and creative problem solving. Teachers, parents, and students we’ve worked with have told us how much they appreciate the growing and diversified learning opportunities we offer, and we are very proud to be contributing to a much needed knowledge base.

“The most important thing you see at Codecraft Lab is curiosity, ingenuity and passion,” Privicee Co-Founder and Chief Engineer Chris Struttman told us recently. “The kids that I’ve taught are curious, you’ll hear a lot of ‘Can I do this…?’ or ‘What if I do it this way…?’ and ‘I just wish it would work’ but this is really important because this is the basis for true problem understanding. These kids are seriously engaged and that is very impressive.”

Giving young people  early access to computer sciences provides a whole new meaning to the term computing power and it is that human computing power that the high-tech companies in Brevard County will need in the future. All around us we have some of the top tech companies in the country including Rockwell Collins, GE and Privicee. These companies are strong supporters of Codecraft Lab and their employees volunteer their time to teach our students. More importantly, they prove that our kids don’t have to be in Silicon Valley to succeed.