BritWeek Kicks Off April 19th With a “Coding For Kids” Day
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 16, 2015 -- BritWeek announced today that its annual program of events in and around Los Angeles will launch this weekend with its first ever “Coding for Kids” day. On Sunday, April 19th from 10am to 2pm at General Assembly in Santa Monica, a hundred 11-13 year-olds from low income neighborhoods will be introduced to computer coding (programming), a vital skill for the growing tech job market in the Southland. BritWeek’s partner in developing this program is the LA-based entertainment engineering company Two Bit Circus.
The initiative follows a successful “Britcode Miami” program, during BritWeek in Miami last month. BritWeek Chairman Bob Peirce commented: “ It was terrific to see the rapt attention of the kids as the trainers showed them how to make a computer do their bidding, and the wonderful sense of triumph and empowerment when it did just that.”
British children are now learning computer coding as a mandatory part of their school curriculum. Britain has long been a leader in computer coding, as movie watchers were recently reminded by 2014’s award winning “The Imitation Game” about World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing, who is widely acknowledged as the father of modern computing. A century earlier, the British mathematician Ada Lovelace was perhaps the earliest pioneer of machine programming.
“We are living in a digital age, and coding is its language,” said Chris O’Connor, British Consul General in Los Angeles. “Knowing how to make a computer work for you is the essential skill for jobs of tomorrow. I am delighted that BritWeek is offering this opportunity to a great group of youngsters in Los Angeles.”
Sharon Amezcua, who is leading the Britweek’s “Coding for Kids” program, said, “I was so impressed to see the Brits make coding a mandatory part of kids’ classroom experience. I became passionate about this program because the US must also expose its young people to computer coding in the education system in order to remain a leader in tech.”
Five young people will be chosen from the Coding day to participate in a “Hack-a-thon” with experienced coders the following weekend at the Santa Monica Mall April 25th and 26th 2015 from 10am on the 25th April until 3pm on the 26th of April. The Hack-a-thon is sponsored by Klickly, led by CEO and Founder Cooper Harris.
About BritWeek
BritWeek is a non–profit organization that hosts a program of events every Spring to highlight British creativity, innovation and excellence across multiple categories including, film & television, music, art, fashion, design, retail, sport, philanthropy, business, and more. The events take place throughout Greater Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, and Miami. http://www.britweek.org
Inquiries
Media Inquiries: Lauren Stone, lauren(at)britweek(dot)org
Georgina Charles, BritWeek, http://www.britweek.org, +1 (323) 7066181, [email protected]
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