The 13th edition of the ThinkYoung Coding School will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, between the 1st and 4th of April 2022. After 12 successful editions in different European and African countries, ThinkYoung’s coding bootcamp will land in Rwanda for the first time. Open to kids between 10 and 17 years old, the programme features an interactive curriculum that includes a wide range of activities, such as robotics, drones and aviation workshops.
The training – 100% free of charge – is characterized by its innovative approach in a non-formal educational setting, addressing the real needs of both the youth of today and the skills required by the industry. These real-world interactions aim to make learning more approachable and long-lasting. Following the vocation of the program to align the labor market needs with the educational curriculum, students will develop their critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Community-based learning
Over the past 12 editions, ThinkYoung Coding School has reached over 700 teenagers, of which over 60% were girls. “After 12 years running education programmes all over the world, we are very happy to come to Rwanda, a country at the forefront of digitalisation in the region and which aspires to become an ICT hub thanks to its commitment to a knowledge-based economy”, says Andrea Gerosa, Founder of ThinkYoung. “Our goal is to train youth in demand-driven skills introducing them to the STEM fields in a stimulating and inclusive learning context” adds Gerosa.
Rwanda faces a severe digital skills gap even though 35-45% of the country’s jobs will require digital skills by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum. Learning coding skills will improve the youth’s logical and problem-solving thinking, expanding their future employment opportunities and having a direct impact on their communities. “Together with Boeing, we are committed to an educational model that prepares Rwanda’s youth to be the digital innovators of tomorrow” concludes the Founder of ThinkYoung.
“At Boeing, we believe in supporting innovative partnerships that aim to improve access to competitive learning for young people, particularly girls. As we expect that Africa’s fast- growing aviation industry will require local aerospace programmers and coding specialists, the ThinkYoung Coding School is particularly relevant and impactful,” says Kuljit Ghata- Aura, President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META).
Girls are particularly encouraged to apply
Every edition welcomes between 60% and 70% of girls interested in taking their first steps in coding and learning the language of the future. The project aims to break the traditional stereotype that ICT is not for women and bring technology and the variety in this field closer to girls. One of the goals of the ThinkYoung Coding School is to overcome male domination in the ICT sector by giving younger girls, female role models, early experiences of computer science, and to build a supportive environment capable of instilling confidence and interest. The organizers stress that “Girls are particularly encouraged to apply to the school!”