After three years of working and living in Fiji, with their professional backgrounds in digital transformation and Cybersecurity supporting large international businesses – Janice Nand, director, and John Magnifico, CEO, of Solved (Fiji) Pte Ltd – had an epiphany that education was the way to make the quickest impact, in particular for our young Fijians.
The vision for our coding programs is that in the next 10 years, Fiji will have a new generation of entrepreneurs with globally marketable skills in computer science and related fields.
Our mission is to embed computer science and coding at the start of a lifelong learning experience for every Fijian child, by teaching children in Fiji how to code, we not only provide them with the skills for the jobs of the future, but more importantly we allow them to have skills where they can earn a living while living in Fiji, servicing clients and customers anywhere in the world.
First-ever Code Camp in Fiji
Two years in the making and delayed a further three months because of COVID-19, the Quantum Space team was very excited to run Fiji’s first-ever Code Camp which was successfully launched in June.
What is a Code Camp
Children are often discouraged from technology, but to do so would not be wise. It is undeniable the power that technology can bring. As Stephen Hawking said, “whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn”.
At Quantum Space, we would like to inspire Fiji’s very own Elon Musk(s) who taught himself to program when he was a child, bought his first computer when he was 10 years old and sold his first commercial program when he was 12 years old.
Our coding classes provide an environment designed and created to ensure children from all backgrounds, skills and ages have the opportunity to make lasting friendships through teamwork and develop a new skill. Whether it’s in the classroom or in a play-based environment, our educators are equipped to look out for and facilitate a welcoming and innovative space where the minds of children buzz with creativity!
At Quantum Space children learn the basics of programming that they will, later on, use in designing and coding their own games and apps with other computer science, robotics, and STEM-related activities.
For the younger children, we try and keep the activities super fun, hands-on and active. There’s plenty you can learn about coding without even touching a computer! We use a combination of offline activities and iPad-based learning.
What is Coding
Coding (also called computer programming), is the process of providing instructions to a computer so it performs a specific task. Coding is what makes it possible for us to create computer software, games, apps and websites.
Why is coding so important
Figuring out how to code at a young age can genuinely set up a child for a lifetime of achievement. Regardless of whether they don’t go into a particular software engineering related field, it gives them an edge in practically every cutting edge industry.
Below are some main benefits of children learning how to code, and why coding is important for children to learn:
¦ Kids learn to use logic – Logical thinking is required for coding. It consists of formulating step by step procedures to produce the desired outcome. It involves using expressions, selection, iteration, conditional and other logical statements and sentences.
¦ Kids learn problem-solving – Coding teaches kids to break down complex problems into components. This problem-solving technique is transferable to a lot of other fields. For example, car mechanics diagnose car problems by replacing one part at a time to isolate the problem part. In coding, a programmer figures out bugs by generating intelligent hypotheses and tweaking parts of his code one component at a time to test which one solves the problem.
¦ Kids learn how things work, and create things that work – Coding teaches children how to build, using cause and effect to make things work, and adapt them for their specific purpose.
¦ Kids learn structural thinking – Children learn how to build small pieces to add up to the solution.
¦ Kids learn perseverance – Children learn to persist if what they are creating is not working. They are compelled to analyse what is not working, why it is not working, and figure out how to correct it until it works.
¦ Coding encourages kids to think outside of the box – Coding sends a message to children that they can create anything from nothing if they want to work on it. By coding, they can stretch what is possible. This fosters the progress of humanity and the overall improvement of the quality of life.
For more information on Quantum Space, Learning and Innovation Hub Coding Camps and Classes – email us at info@solvedgroup.com Find us on Facebook.
