- CODE Kids is a free programming learning program that takes place in public libraries and community centers in rural areas and small towns
- 4,600 students have participated in free CODE Kids courses over the past five years
- Children learn the basics of programming, robotics, app development, games and animations
- Dâmbovița County holds the record for rural communities with access to programming courses
- The club at the County Library in Constanta is the most numerous: 77 children
- The programme has been extended to Botoșani, Călărași, Ialomița, Mehedinți, Prahova, Teleorman and Vaslui and covers communities in 33 counties
Bucharest, 19 April 2022. The counties of Botoșani, Călărași, Ialomița, Mehedinți, Prahova, Teleorman and Vaslui join the CODE Kids project – Program the future of your community, a free program run by Progress Foundation, which targets children aged 10-14 years old to develop visual programming and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) skills. New programming clubs have also been opened this year in Cluj, Dâmbovița, Gorj and Iași counties. 85 local public libraries, 10 schools, 7 NGOs, 5 high schools and 2 town halls have joined the initiative, and so far more than 4,600 students have participated in the courses since the project was launched in 2017.
“This year we have 109 active clubs, nationwide, which shows the momentum the CODE Kids programme has gained. The enthusiasm of the children and club coordinators is overwhelming! We are glad to have caught them in this knowledge vortex and are ready to train their digital and soft skills so that they will be trained for the professions that will emerge in the next ten to twenty years.” – Mircea Stan, Project Manager CODE Kids Romania
In a world where technology is advancing rapidly, CODE Kids is a digital literacy opportunity for rural children so they are prepared to face the jobs of the future. Over the two years of the programme, students will have access to new technologies and free training from professionals in the field, create mobile apps, learn to program robots, develop their math, logic and English skills, and discover how cool it is to work in a team.
“As far as I’m concerned CODE Kids is all about one word – future. Whether we are talking about the general future that is shaping up to be technological and robotic, or the future of our children, I believe that this journey of tomorrow’s programmers must start today. Give rural kids the chance to access an extraordinarily exciting and complex field through a free coding club.” – Narcis Lunceanu, Technical Coordinator CODE Kids Romania
Pupils from vulnerable backgrounds or from small towns in Romania, as well as from some areas in the Republic of Moldova, can take the two-year course free of charge. The list of active clubs can be found HERE.
Record number of clubs and children programming the future of communities
Dâmbovița County has the most CODE Kids partner communities, most of them rural. Children can learn about programming in 21 active clubs. The surprise of the season in terms of club members was the Constanta County Library, which managed to attract 77 students to coding.
“We understood that today’s future is tomorrow’s present, he who is “little man” today will be “big man” tomorrow. He will make decisions, he will influence the world, he will work, he will have a family and children of his own… We want a better world for our children starting TODAY. That’s why, when we were given the opportunity to partner in the national CODE Kids programme, we understood that we need to integrate technology into our lives, not fear it. We met some fantastic kids with unparalleled potential who have completed the first ten steps of course 2 on the code.org platform with great enthusiasm and are looking forward to the next challenges!” – Elena Cioclin, Inspector of the “I.N.Roman” County Library Constanta, CODE Kids Coordinator.
Together we #rewritethefutureofchildren
In support of the digitization strategy, the adaptation to new technologies and the creation of a national coding movement, Progress Foundation opens a public call to national companies, developers or local entrepreneurs who want to join the mission to rewrite the future of children. Interested individuals can contact their local club coordinators where they would like to sponsor or email office@progressfoundation.ro.
