Exmouth Library Is Bridging The Digital Divide With Creative Bytes Coding Program

Published on Thursday, 13 February 2025 at 11:02:44 AM

 SUMMARY

  • The Exmouth Library has hosted the first coding club workshop for students aged 8-12 years.
  • Funded by Creative Bytes, the program will help young students develop key coding skills and digital literacy over 10 weeks of term 1.
  • Creative Bytes is a charitable organisation that has created the opportunity for children in regional and remote communities to learn digital skills through their coding programs.

 

EXMOUTH LIBRARY IS BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WITH CREATIVE BYTES CODING PROGRAM

 

The Exmouth Library has hosted the first coding workshop, developed under the Creative Bytes program, to help open future pathways for participating students in Exmouth.
Nine students arrived at 3 PM after their school day, keen to dive into the world of coding and start building their characters and games using the learning program ‘Scratch’.

Over the next 10 weeks, the students will develop key coding skills in Scratch – building games and characters that capture users' imagination while covering aspects of Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Shire of Exmouth staff led the workshop, spending time putting together the content and training themselves in coding through Creative Bytes lesson plans.

The coding workshops are designed to be engaging, creative, and fun for young brains. They aim to increase opportunities for students in remote communities to develop better skills and access to digital tools for their future.

These free, community-led coding workshops empower young students to gain confidence in coding skills and become technologically proficient regardless of their background or previous experience using coding technology.

The initiative was created by Creative Bytes in 2021 to bridge the growing gap between digital literacy learning opportunities between regional or remote children and those living in cities or metropolitan areas with increased access to such tools and learning opportunities. Most importantly, the program is made to be fun.

Creative Bytes not only provides lesson plans and access to the coding platform Scratch but also provides laptops for students to use if they do not have access to their own, ensuring there are no barriers to who can participate.

COMMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO THE SHIRE PRESIDENT – MATTHEW NIIKKULA

"In today's world, digital literacy is essential, and these workshops are giving Exmouth students a crucial head start.  Learning to code isn't just about technical skills; it fosters problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity – skills that are valuable in any field.  We're investing in these students' futures, equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.  We're excited to see what they create over the next ten weeks and beyond."

"These workshops are designed to be engaging and creative, sparking kids' imaginations and showing them that learning can be exciting. We're seeing firsthand how these students are embracing the challenge, collaborating with each other, and building amazing projects.  It's inspiring to see their enthusiasm, and we're thrilled to be a part of their learning journey."

MEDIA

 

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Sandra Flint, Coordinator Communications , Shire of Exmouth
M: 0459 431 439 | E: sflint@exmouth.wa.gov.au

 

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