Top Of The World

[Jangle]

11-y-o Jamaican coder beats rivals in 70 nations

Tamara Bailey/Gleaner Writer Standing tall above young coders from 70 other countries, an 11-year-old innovator from Jamaica has copped the top prize in the international XPRIZE Code Games Challenge. One of 17 winners from across the world,...

Standing tall above young coders from 70 other countries, an 11-year-old innovator from Jamaica has copped the top prize in the international XPRIZE Code Games Challenge.

One of 17 winners from across the world, Dominic Darby was awarded ‘Best in Class’ and a cash prize of US$1,000 for his video game entry, using MIT’s Scratch coding software, in the Junior division.

The challenge, created by XPRIZE - a non-profit organisation based in California that encourages technogical development through competitions, registered more than 3,000 innovators aged 10-18 for the 2020 competition.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/l...als-70-nations

[Don1]

11-y-o Jamaican coder beats rivals in 70 nations

Tamara Bailey/Gleaner Writer Standing tall above young coders from 70 other countries, an 11-year-old innovator from Jamaica has copped the top prize in the international XPRIZE Code Games Challenge. One of 17 winners from across the world,...

Standing tall above young coders from 70 other countries, an 11-year-old innovator from Jamaica has copped the top prize in the international XPRIZE Code Games Challenge.

One of 17 winners from across the world, Dominic Darby was awarded ‘Best in Class’ and a cash prize of US$1,000 for his video game entry, using MIT’s Scratch coding software, in the Junior division.

The challenge, created by XPRIZE - a non-profit organisation based in California that encourages technogical development through competitions, registered more than 3,000 innovators aged 10-18 for the 2020 competition.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/l...als-70-nations

Noice!

Such individual achievements are great...and a signal pointing to what our children can accomplish.

What's much better are SYSTEMS & PROGRAMS that churn out students capable of such achievements by the tens of thousands.

But you'll not hear of such perspectives. Such pursuits are drowned out by Jamaican Dummies - in high and low positions - yapping interminably about low-level pursuits like BPO, tourism and haberdasheries as Jamaica's "leading businesses".

They're correct. Such businesses lead Jamaica to persistent poverty for the overwhelming majority.... and a gilded lifestyle for a handful who're very comfortable with that equation

[Jangle]

Teach coding to infants, tech expert urges

Jamaica has been urged by a senior technology expert to begin teaching coding to three-year-olds and even younger children who are just learning to speak in order to tap talent in an emerging industry here.

That recommendation has been stirred by the success of Jamaican innovator, Dominic Darby, who triumphed over 800 competitors from 70 countries to cop a top prize in the international XPRIZE Code Games Challenge.

The 11-year-old was introduced to coding and the platform Scratch at age six during a summer programme held at The University of the West Indies.

n January, Prime Minister Andrew Holness launched the Amber HEART Coding Academy to train thousands of young Jamaicans as software developers.

It is a partnership between the HEART NSTA/Trust and the Amber Group, in collaboration with the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme and the Art of Living Foundation.

Holness had said that the coding academy would significantly improve the employability of citizens and serve as the catalyst for a new age of digital transformation locally.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/l...h-expert-urges

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Pilot Coding in Schools programme launched, 20 institutions to benefit

The Ministry of Education has officially launched the pilot Coding in Schools programme.

The initiative, which involves a partnership with Amber Innovations Group Limited, will promote the teaching and learning of coding in public educational institutions across Jamaica.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the delivery of the programme was signed during a virtual ceremony on Friday between the Ministry and the Amber Group during the ceremony.

The pilot programme will be conducted across 20 schools, involving approximately 2,000 students in grades four and nine.

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/...utions-benefit