On May 11, the sixth annual National Girls Learning Code Day is taking place in 35 communities across Canada, aiming to teach girls how to use tech to solve problems in their communities, with this year’s theme for Canada Learning Code’s program being innovation and entrepreneurship.
“It is crucial we introduce young girls to coding and empower them to be a part of Canada’s digital future.”
During the event, girls will be challenged to think about which problems they want to solve in their communities, as well as experiences or products they wish existed. They will then learn to use coding tools to build their own websites for their solutions. The goal of the event is to prepare girls, who are usually underrepresented in tech, for the digital age.
“As technology will only increasingly power the way we solve problems and share ideas with one another, it is crucial we introduce young girls to coding and empower them to be a part of Canada’s digital future,” said Melissa Sarrifodeen, CEO of Canada Learning Code.
Event participants will be introduced to several tools that will guide learners through ideation and conceptualization, including basic HTML and CSS. In addition to learning technical skills, the event will also focus on building entrepreneurship skills, including problem-solving, fostering creativity, learning from failure, allowing young people to make decisions, and encouraging leadership skills.
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Canada Learning Code is a leading national charity championing digital literacy education, working nation-wide and across all sectors to equip Canadians with technical skills. To date, the organization has taught over 260,000 learners through in-person experiences.
The organization’s mission is to ensure that Canadians, particularly those who are currently underrepresented in the tech sector, have access to learn critical skills and be active participants in the digital age. The daytime interactive coding workshops for girls aged 9 through 12 will be hosted in over 35 communities across nine provinces and will feature mentors from Canada’s tech community.
Image courtesy Canada Learning Code.