Over 200 children learn programming and robotics at the 9th edition of the CoderDojo workshops in Bucharest

The CoderDojo Bucharest workshops, supported by the Telekom Foundation and the Coder Dojo Bucharest Association, offer programming and robotics courses for over 200 children passionate about technology, aged between 8 and 17 years. The workshops are free and take place mainly online, during the school year 2021-2022, their frequency being established by mentors together with the participants.

During this year’s edition, students were able to opt for one of the 13 available workshops, divided into 3 categories depending on age, but also their level of training:

Explorer, dedicated to children aged 8-12, who want to discover the basics of programming;

Aventurer, for children aged 12-15, who want to start exploring technologies by learning languages ​​that use lines of code;

Master, for teenagers aged 13-17, who want to train for a career in IT and seek to develop their skills by working with formalized algorithms, arduino or web technologies.

The topics and program for each of the three categories of participants were developed by volunteering mentors, specialists in programming, robotics and the latest technologies.

It is for the 9th consecutive year that the Telekom Foundation is involved with the Coder Dojo Bucharest Association in training and improving the digital skills of children and adolescents, so that they can successfully integrate into a rapidly changing labor market, in terms of technology as well as digitization.

“We are delighted to be able to continue supporting the young generation’s passion for digital education and we are delighted to see children’s interest in these workshops. It is essential for us to offer them the opportunity to learn to work with the latest technologies, under the guidance of involved and talented mentors. Digital skills are increasingly important in the labor market and are a real advantage in the professions of the future. The participants in the workshops have the opportunity to lay the foundations for future successful careers, through which they can have a real positive impact on the world we live in, especially in Romania, taking into account that one of the biggest problems with digitalization is the lack of human resources”, said Ionela Păunică, Executive Director of the Telekom Foundation.

The workshops are conducted under the guidance and coordination of a team of volunteers, programming and robotics experts. Most of the workshops will take place online, while for the robotics courses the mentors and the participants will meet in physical format, respecting all the norms in force regarding the prevention of the transmission of the new coronavirus.

“For nine years we have been supporting digital education among young people in Romania and we are excited to continue to be involved in shaping their talent in terms of technology. We strongly believe that every child should have the opportunity to acquire the digital skills so useful to everyone today and to be able to express their creativity in a safe and friendly environment. CoderDojo mentors are passionately involved in supporting young people and providing them with the resources they need to develop their digital skills, in line with their interests and pace. The growing number of participants and the fact that many of the students return every year to continue their courses in more advanced groups reflect the success and importance of this initiative,” says Adrian Petre, Co-Founder of CoderDojo Association.