Port Moody Public Library is joining forces with educators across B.C. to get kids to learn the building blocks of coding so they can create their own computer games, not just fool around with apps that adults have made.
To that end the library is joining International Hour of Code Week to provide a free workshop for kids Saturday, Dec. 5 from 2-4 p.m.
The event is free and no registration is required. Children are encouraged to bring their own laptop or tablet.
“Coding encourages kids to problem-solve and think creatively,” stated PMPL's digital and information services coordinator Virginia McCreedy, in a press release. “If something doesn’t work, they have to go back over their work and figure out why. They need to think like a programmer even if they aren’t yet using complex coding languages. It’s also very social and artistic. Kids are coaching and teaching each other how to solve an issue that comes up. These critical thinking and collaboration skills are key for future success.”
The Hour of Code tutorials kids will explore will have them creating and playing a Star Wars-themed game and other interactive games and displays that Port Moody kids created using MIT's Scratch during previous library Code Camps.
“Kids can learn the basics of computer programming in tutorials featuring Angry Birds, Frozen, Star Wars, and Minecraft,” added McCreedy, who teaches the Code Camps at the library. “It’s a great way to learn the fundamentals. Once they have the basics, the only limit is their imagination.”
Over 170 countries will be hosting Hour of Code events in the hopes of getting more kids interested in computer sciences. Globally, advocates are stressing that coding will be a necessary skill for 21st century jobs.
Several School District 43 high school students will also be attending Codecreate this weekend at Lighthouse Labs in Gastown. It's the largest province wide youth coding event in celebration of Hour of Code.
For more information about PMPL's Hour of Code event, visit library.portmoody.ca or call the library at 604-469-4577.
