BizVoice March/April 2016

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36 BizVoice/Indiana Chamber – March/April 2016
In Indiana alone, computer and IT job
opportunities are growing at twice the rate (17%)
compared to any other job sector (8%), according to
the 2015 TechPoint Central Indiana Workforce Study.
Aside from the numerous positions available,
computer and IT jobs also have an economic impact on
the community. The average annual pay for jobs in the
computer and IT sector is $75,000. This amount is
almost double the pay of average jobs in Central
Indiana. The ripple effect of an increased average salary
for communities can include further economic
development, better funding for schools and increased
community programs.
As a whole, Indiana attracted a 150% increase in
tech companies in 2015 compared to 2014. As this
economic trend continues, it will be important for
Hoosiers to keep pace with the growing demand and
increase our pipeline for tech and IT talent. In order to
do so, Hoosiers need to be able to understand what
coding is and how it affects everyday life.
Eleven Fifty Academy is launching a series of
events called “Cool Coding Awareness Week,” an
interactive weeklong program hosted in 20 communities
across Indiana in partnership with TechPoint Foundation
for Youth and NexTech. Launching in March and
running through December 2016, communities selected
through a competitive application process will be
exposed to specific curricula developed to stimulate
minds in students ranging from age five to 105.
Starting with kindergarteners and first graders, the
partnership will provide 1,000 kids with a book –
Programming Languages ABC++ – by Hoosier authors
Michael and Martine Dowden. As parents and software
consultants, the Dowdens wrote this book to introduce
programming languages in a child-friendly yet
technically-accurate format. Classroom activities and
fun ABC posters are included, as well as a letter to
parents encouraging their participation by exploring
further resources.
Students in second through sixth grades will enjoy
participating in the Hour of Code, a one-hour
introduction to computer science, designed to demystify
code and show that anybody can learn the basics.
Popular Hour of Code activities are based on Minecraft,
Star Wars and Disney’s Frozen.
Seventh-grade students through high school
sophomores will experience coding by working with
Raspberry Pi, a credit-card sized computer that plugs
into a monitor, keyboard and mouse. These devices
enable students to explore programming through
languages like Scratch. High school juniors and seniors
will step inside the mind of a coder as one of our Eleven
Fifty Academy instructors demonstrates free-form
coding in Code Cram sessions by building an app from
scratch within one hour.
The Cool Coding Awareness Week will end with
two community-focused experiences: a two-day Intro
to Coding class for ages 16-plus and the start-up tools
for a CoderDojo. The intent is to get coding to be part
of the regular course catalog so that coding is a standard
skill taught in the schools.
CoderDojo is a global movement of free,
volunteer-led, community-based programming clubs for
young people who want to learn how to code, develop
web sites, create games and explore technology in a
creative environment with help from a variety of
mentors. Originally started in Ireland, this movement
has spread around the world as young people, between
seven and 17, are looking to meet like-minded people
and be exposed to the creativity and possibilities of
technology.
Within the CoderDojo Movement, there is a focus
on community, peer learning, youth mentoring and
self-led learning – with an emphasis on showing how
coding is a force for change in the world. This unique
approach teaches kids more than just how to code:
Their collaboration with other adolescents promotes
teamwork and a sense of community among them. It’s
all about encouraging creativity and fostering
mentorship in a fun environment.
Skills developed during Cool Coding Awareness
Week will be sustained and even enhanced through the
CoderDojo. A Dojo will be formed in each of the 20
communities along with tools left behind to help them
grow. The partnership will appoint a state coordinator
to assist with the efforts in each of the communities.
This person will not only be a point of contact to
coordinate events but will aid in mentor resources to
help ensure the success of each Dojo. While the impact
of the Dojos won’t be able to be measured for some
years, the intent is to create a pipeline of coding
Hoosiers to increase our state’s viability as a coding
talent hub.
‘Cool Coding’ for All
Academy Reaching Out With Special Training
AUTHOR: John Qualls is
president of Eleven Fifty
Academy, where the mission
is to build an ecosystem of
software development talent
that financially benefits the
individual, their employer
and their community. He is
passionate about helping
mentor and advise young
people, especially from an
IT perspective, on ways to
navigate the right path for
their futures. Learn more at
GUEST COLUMN
John Qualls
With all of the STEM and STEAM initiatives, it is no secret that technology impacts all
industries within the economy and there are significant issues filling the current job demand.
In the United States, there are over half a million unfilled jobs in information technology (IT)
across a variety of sectors.
Skills developed during Cool Coding Awareness
Week will be sustained and even enhanced
through the CoderDojo.