Looking to learn a new language? Italian, Spanish, maybe Mandarin? The list of possibilities is long, and technology has made it even longer with the introduction of one more: code, the language of computers.
While coding is not brand new, its influence and potential application has grown exponentially in recent years.
In this exciting digital age, the earlier you can grasp code, the better. Some countries, are already teaching their preschoolers the basics.
Learning to code involves many of the same cognitive skills and techniques as learning French, for example. In addition to being a competitive advantage in the workplace of tomorrow (it is no secret that programmers are in high demand), there are other byproducts of learning to code at a young age: problem-solving skills, logical thinking, patience, perseverance and collaboration.
Furthermore, it offers young people an increased awareness both of the world around them and the intricate mosaic of technology behind the videogames they play, the apps they use or the social media networks they surf.
This knowledge allows them to apply math to real-world situations, visualize abstract concepts and let their creativity run wild as they develop apps, websites or video games.
In the Grand Duchy, Coding4Kids, an initiative of the Code Club in collaboration with the National Youth Service, gives each child a gateway to first-hand programming experiences.
Enabled by Digital Luxembourg, the primary goal of the Coding4Kids project is to offer all budding techies and techettes aged 8 to 12 the opportunity to create through coding.
It provides fun, inspiring and engaging extracurricular workshops to young people all over Luxembourg – from the Makerspace Base 1 at the Forum Geesseknäppchen to after-school childcare centers in communes across the country.
By bringing this resource to communities beyond the capital, Code Club is diversifying the digital economy…and teaching yet another language to Luxembourg’s multilingual youth.
Digital Luxembourg is passionate about sparking childhood interest in technology via coding and app-based learning in order to shape a future generation with an intuitive understanding of technology.
Programming is on the rise. Perhaps code will be the world’s official language one day. How fluent will you be?
