Expert Alert: Back to school - Coding for kids, digital literacy and Internet-enabled learning

.CA Community Investment Program funds programs to support the skills children need for the digital economy

OTTAWA, Sept. 3, 2015 /CNW/ - With the start of the new school year teachers, parents and librarians are embracing new tools for teaching coding, digital literacy and hardware engineering to a generation of digital natives. A key plank of the .CA Community Investment Program targets digital literacy programming that can help Canadian students develop the skills they need for the modern economy.

Get access to leading Canadian experts in teaching coding and digital literacy in Canadian schools.

Experts on call

• Andy Forest, the chief instigator of STEAMLabs has created a comprehensive methodology for teaching children how to engage with the Internet of Things. STEAMLabs is focused on helping students interact with hardware, empowering children to interact with technology as active creators, not just passive consumers.
• Kate Arthur, the executive director & co-founder of kidsCODEjeunesse is a leading voice calling for the integration of coding skills into Canadian classrooms for children as young as seven. She leads a team of staff and volunteers that empower students and teachers with resources to help them think like computer scientists and programmers.
• Jane Tallim, co-executive director of MediaSmarts, co-leads the Ottawa-based team creating a comprehensive set of curriculum resources to teach digital literacy in Canadian schools. MediaSmarts is supporting teachers with tools to investigate privacy, surveillance, online bullying and media literacy in empowering and engaging ways.

Data shows Canadians support kids learning code

In a study from Ipsos Reid released earlier this year, the .CA Community Investment Program found significant support among the Canadian public for children learning coding at school.

82 per cent of respondents agreed that all young people should graduate from high school with basic skills to help them succeed in the digital economy, such as computer coding skills. Notably, 90 per cent Canadians also endorsed the role that math and science skills have in supporting economic growth.

Executive quotes

"We now know that computer programming is fundamentally changing the ways we work and innovate and it is our responsibility to ensure that our schools can teach a full range of literacies – from reading and writing, to computer coding and digital literacy. We created the .CA Community Investment Program to support these fundamental shifts in learning and get resources into the schools and community groups that can have an impact on student success."  

- David Fowler, director of marketing and communications for the .CA | Community Investment Program and board member with MediaSmarts

About .CA and the Community Investment Program

The .CA Community Investment Program provides a portion of the proceeds from .CA registrations to support projects that improve the internet experience for Canadians. The .CA team manages Canada's country code top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. A Member-based organization, .CA represents the interests of Canada's Internet community internationally.

Media availability

All experts listed in this release are ready and able to speak with reporters. To book interviews or explore possible story angles, please contact:

SOURCE Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

Ryan Saxby Hill, Communications manager for .CA, [email protected], 613-316-2397