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INNOBIZ DUT HOSTS CODING FOR KIDS PROGRAMME FOR DISADVANTAGED PRIMARY SCHOOLS

INNOBIZ DUT HOSTS CODING FOR KIDS PROGRAMME FOR DISADVANTAGED PRIMARY SCHOOLS

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) through the innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation invited 20 students from four schools under its Adopt-a-School programme to participate in the Coding for Kids Programme that took place at the innobiz Innovation Hub on Thursday, 11th of August 2022. The Programme was aimed at planting a seed of information technology skills within young children from disadvantaged schools situated around the Indumiso Campus. The invited schools were Funulwazi Primary School, Izwilesizwe Primary School, KwaMpungose Primary School, Inzuzwenhle Primary School; The programme was facilitated by innobiz IT Technician, Sabelo Gumede.

The programme commenced with an introduction and welcome from the innobiz External Business Projects Officer, Mr Duke Ngcobo who expressed gratitude to the school representatives for taking time to attend this programme and their willingness to expose their pupils to such informative training sessions.

The programme was facilitated by innobiz IT Technician, Mr Sabelo Gumede, who started off the session with an interactive presentation on coding, what it means, its basic concepts, what it is used for and the different types of it. The session also included a presentation on the 4th industrial evolution by Mr Mthokozisi Buthelezi, the research officer at innobiz, Buthelezi spoke of the effects of 4th industrial evolution on society and how it has changed and improved people’s livelihoods, and this was in efforts to inspire an interest for informational technology and potentially suggest it as a possible career choice.

Ntwenhle Mzobe, a learner at KwaMpungose Primary school expressed gratitude to DUT for inviting them to participate in this educational programme. “I really enjoyed the session, the information received and the coding exercise. I saw a robot for the first time and one day I wish to make my own,” she said.

Principal at Funulwazi Primary Mrs T Ngubane also commended the innobiz DUT for affording schools this opportunity and requested that more programmes of this nature are made available to young people.

The students were placed in groups for various activities that included practical activities such as Arduino Set-up and coding which students were very excited about. The activities were followed by a mini expo where the pupils were shown various gadgets from the innobiz Tech Hub.

The programme concluded with a scholarship application session, where community innobiz engagement officer Khothatso Memela presented and assisted students with applying for the Allan Gray Foundation Scholarship available for primary schools in South Africa.

Pictured: School children during the programme.

Photographer: Khulasande Tshayile

Nontethelelo Mzizi

 

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