OTTAWA – Canada Learning Code Week kicks-off in the nation’s capital on Monday and Canada Learning Code has partnered with the Rideau Hall Foundation to welcome students from St. Joseph Catholic High School at Shopify. Students will learn about past Canadian innovators, code their own websites, and leave inspired by their new skills with an understanding of how Canada’s great innovators used technology to solve past problems.
84,000 Canadian students will participate in the 2nd annual Canada Learning Code Week December 3-10 in over 200 communities across the country. Thanks to the support of sponsors and partners, Canada Learning Code is giving teachers and community groups the free resources required to introduce coding to students with a fun-filled week of learning the digital skills crucial for today and tomorrow’s economy.
This year, Canada Learning Code Week activities include:
- Programming Voice-Assistant technology
- An unplugged coding lesson on basketball
- Celebrating innovation through web development
- Code a simulation of self-driving cars
- Creating a virtual reality inspired by indigenous art
Teachers and community groups can visit CodeWeek.ca to download free lesson plans and participation guides.
Across Canada today, only 4 out of 13 provinces and territories have mandated coding in their kindergarten to grade 12 curriculum. Canada Learning Code Week is designed to help educators introduce computational-thinking fundamentals and basic coding skills into classrooms across the country to ensure Canadians students have the knowledge to build and not just consume technology.
“To truly transform the digital landscape and provide equal access to all Canadians, we need to bring computational-thinking fundamentals and basic coding skills into classrooms across the country. That is why we have launched a pan-Canadian K-12 computer science education framework. Canada Learning Code Week is a great first step for teachers to introduce these crucial concepts now while the longer-term curriculum modernization is developed.” –Melissa Sariffodeen, CEO of Canada Learning Code
“We are pleased to partner with Canada Learning Code on the Innovation X Coding lesson plans. By sharing the stories of Canada’s great innovators with students across the country, we can inspire young people to think of themselves as innovators with a critical role to play in the improvement of everything we do together as a society, both at home and throughout the world.” – Teresa Marques, President and CEO, Rideau Hall Foundation
About Canada Learning Code:
Canada Learning Code is Canada’s leading national charity championing digital literacy education. Placing a special emphasis on women, girls, people with disabilities, Indigenous youth and newcomers, Canada Learning Code is proud to work from coast to coast to make sure that all Canadians have access to the knowledge they need to prosper in our digital world.
Originally founded as Ladies Learning Code in 2011, the organization has evolved to run programming for adults, youth and educators through programs Ladies, Girls, Kids, Teens and Teachers Learning Code. Today, Canada Learning Code operates in over 35 communities across the country, driving results through program design and delivery, strategic industry and public partnerships, research and advocacy. To date, the organization has reached over 90,000 learners through an in-person experience.
Twitter: @learningcode Instagram: @learningcode Facebook: @canadalearningcode
About the Rideau Hall Foundation
The Rideau Hall Foundation is a registered national charity that enhances the impact of the Office of Governor General as a central institution of Canadian democracy and works with others to build a better country for all Canadians. The RHF’s work spans four key programmatic areas and challenges for Canada, including: (1) learning initiatives that strive for excellence and promote equality of opportunity; (2) strengthening Canada’s culture of innovation, (3) widening the circle of giving and volunteering; and (4) investing in Canadian leaders with transformative potential.
Twitter: @RideauHallFdn Facebook: @FondationRideauHallFoundation
