CoderDojo Club introduces students to computer programming and advanced manufacturing
April 4, 2017
Greenville Technical College (GTC) introduced another group of 26 students to computer programming and advanced manufacturing through a 10-week CoderDojo club, which began in September and finished in December 2016. This free program is in place worldwide, with 550 clubs in 55 countries including 115 U.S. locations.
The students came from Legacy Charter School and included grades 6 through 8. They learned coding with the help of a Raspberry Pi, a small, hand-held, credit card sized type of computer. Each participant programmed the device using Scratch, a free tool that helps young people learn coding. The Raspberry Pi’s were purchased with funds provided by a Duke Energy Foundation grant, which underwrote the club’s launch in 2015 and will continue to fund the project for one more year.
Club activities were supervised by GTC faculty along with community business leaders, creating a ratio of one coach for every seven students. Activities included learning the basics of coding, developing websites, and exploring technology.
The CoderDojo club plays a strong role in improving the pipeline of qualified job seekers for employers. A 2012 SC Department of Education survey of students in grades 8 through 12 showed that career interest in information technology ranked 11 out of 16 cluster choices, while manufacturing was ranked even lower at 14. This illustrates just how critical it is to South Carolina’s advanced manufacturing industry, which leads our economy, for young people to be encouraged to pursue careers in this area, so that future jobs will be filled and the skills gap can be narrowed.
CoderDojo introduces students and families to the often unfamiliar world of advanced manufacturing, where information technology and robotics rule the production floor, and workers have a solid foundation in STEM skills. It changes misconceptions about these careers, which are often more pronounced among women and minorities, and it allows low income and disadvantaged students to see opportunities for success beyond the familiar. The club visited GTC’s new Center for Manufacturing Innovation. Students toured the 3-D printing area and the manufacturing floor where they witnessed first-hand the Machine Tool and Mechatronics equipment in operation.
Another club session began February 16, 2017, with meetings extending until April 20. Twenty-three students from Legacy Charter School are participating. Eventually, GTC professors Mary Locke and Hazel Tucker hope to have several clubs meeting simultaneously and to grow the program to include 280 students or more.
