荔枝视频

A 荔枝视频 club that has been lighting the coding fire in students has received national recognition.

has helped more than 1,500 high school students since 2016, offering free workshops to explore the fundamentals of coding in a fun and interactive environment. Each workshop connects the students with U荔枝视频 mentors, offering one-on-one support and insight.

The club was recently notified it was receiving a $90,000 grant through the .

鈥淒igital literacy is of paramount importance in today鈥檚 world,鈥� says , PhD, MEng software program director at the Schulich School of Engineering. 鈥淚t is no longer the case that only information technology professionals need to understand computers and how to code.鈥�

Moshirpour says the digitalization of our society is becoming more prevalent by the day, so Canadian youth need to master those skills.

Cracking the code

Rajpreet Gill has seen the power of Schulich Ignite first-hand and now serves as the club鈥檚 president.

鈥淚 first heard about the program as a high school student,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have always appreciated the program鈥檚 ambition and objective towards emphasizing the importance of programming along with embracing diversity and inclusivity.鈥�

Before becoming president, Gill was the vice-president of events as well as a coding mentor, as she wanted to serve a greater role in her community.

She says the most rewarding part of the experience has been seeing students鈥� enthusiasm for Schulich Ignite and their commitment to learning.

鈥淲e have students who join with little-to-no prior coding experience,鈥� Gill says. 鈥淎t the conclusion of the semester, they鈥檙e able to create complex coding projects by leveraging the core skills studied throughout the program.鈥�

Programming progress

Moshirpour is humbled by how a small collaboration with Google five years ago has taken off at the 荔枝视频.

鈥淭he original $7,500 investment has now evolved into a broader program with a focus on increased diversity in sciences and engineering, by providing under-represented groups with an opportunity to learn programming and coding skills in a fun, supportive and interactive environment,鈥� he says.

For him, the most important aspect of the journey has been the feedback he鈥檚 received from students and their parents.

鈥淭he best feeling is when I get students coming up to me to say 鈥業 saw you in Grade 10 when I was in Schulich Ignite and it got me interested in engineering,鈥� Moshirpour says with a smile.

He鈥檚 hopeful they can use the NSERC funding to expand and attract even more young Canadians.

鈥淲e want to focus on our digital platform to teach high school students in different cities, rural areas and Indigenous communities,鈥� Moshirpour says. 鈥淭hat platform allowed our program to not only be unphased by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also grow to new heights.鈥�

Gill adds she is excited about the potential for Schulich Ignite.

鈥淢y recommendation to any student interested in participating in this program is to go for it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an exceptional program that will not only teach you programming skills, but will also allow you to develop essential skills that are important as a student, and as an individual, while connecting you with students from across Canada.鈥�