WECODE Programmes

In partnership with Got-Game, we are training students at Tembisa Secondary School in basic coding, where we are able to teach the students  on how to write programs that control drones. This is over and above the students learning programming concepts that include sequencing, repetition, events, conditional logic, problem solving, and debugging which all reinforce STEM skills that students learn in other science subjects. As part of their practical learning exercises, students from this school have an opportunity to conduct in the filed practical exercises at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, where ERP is currently implementing various conservation strategies.

Our coding programmes are flexible, and at times are conducted outside of the school environment. For instance, as part of cementing our relationship with Nokia, who are currently funding the coding programme, we held successive Saturday coding classes at their offices where we taught Nokia staff member’s children on how to construct games, programmes and how to fly drones. In addition, we also have one day coding activation courses that we conduct in various ERP communities, to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital world platforms. For Mandela Day (2019), we held a coding session at the ERP funded Waterberg Welfare Society centre in Vaalwater. This was a one day introductory training course, aimed at covering the basics in coding for the benefit of students from Vaalwater.

In recent days, iLAB, part of groupelephant.com, made a bold step to kick off a programme that will see 4IR skills being developed in townships and remote communities. This will see students in Grades 9 and 10 being ngaged in a STEM Robotics Programme conducted at the African School for Excellence. This programme is facilitated through use of Marty, which is a fully programmable, WiFi enabled walking robot that makes learning about programming, electronics, and mechanical engineering a fun and engaging process.