A student from the St. Maarten Youth Council eagerly awaits the start of a coding session during the IGT Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp.
PHILIPSBURG--International Game Technology (IGT), a global player in gaming and operator of the Caribbean Lottery and Barbados Lottery, successfully completed its fourth annual “IGT Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp” for Caribbean youth during the summer.
Participating students are now back to school and energised for the new year, equipped to become innovators and problem-solvers, according to a press release.
IGT partnered with Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI) at University of the West Indies (UWI) to host the virtual camp under the theme “Climate Action: Think It! Code It! Solve It!”
A student at IGT Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp connects wires for a robotics project ahead of the new school year.
The camp, an extension of IGT’s global After School Advantage (ASA) programme, consisted of introductory (Level 1) and intermediate (Level 2) programmes.
A total of 72 students from five Caribbean countries – St. Maarten, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago – participated in the virtual camp. Included were students from Maude Crosse Preparatory School in Nevis, The Learning Centre in Barbados and St. Maarten’s Youth Council.
The Level 1 course introduced students to the world of computer science, providing a foundational understanding of coding and computing. They also explored careers in the industry and developed essential skills such as website development and robotics. Returning students in the Level 2 programme built on the knowledge they had gained last summer to explore more complex web development including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and an introduction to artificial intelligence. Students also had the exciting experience of building a robot.
As these students begin the new school year, they will remember the encouragement they received to continue their learning adventure with enthusiasm and curiosity, according to the release.
Guest speaker at the camp graduation Nalini Ramsawak-Jodha, UWI lecturer in Education (Teaching of Mathematics), congratulated the students and challenged them to continue using their knowledge to protect the environment.
