USIU, Tech Republic launch Innovation Boot Camp to equip teens with coding skills

Tech Republic has partnered with The United States International University-Africa to offer upper primary and secondary pupils aged 12 – 19 with a platform through which they can learn and expand their coding prowess.

Tech Republic is a technology education firm dedicated to increasing engagement in technology and computer science by making it more accessible to upper primary and high school students. Tech republic has also partnered with Google and Intel who are out to help tech republic develop a web based curriculum for the students during the boot camp.

The five-day long innovation camp is set to commence on today through August 28 2015. No previous coding experience is necessary for the participants; however, students who have intermediate tech skills will be challenged with additional exercises.

USIU-Africa and Tech Republic have made efforts to subsidize the participation fee to ensure that cost is not a barrier and the camp is accessible to as many students as possible. Over 70 youths are participating in the boot camp.

“USIU-Africa has been a long-time provider of highly-trained talent to our local and regional computer technology companies. Providing coding classes to our future “techies” falls right in line with the diverse educational programs we offer in the computer sciences,” remarked Ms. Jane Muriithi-Thomas, USIU-Africa’s Head of Marketing and Communications, on the institution’s partnership with technology education firm, Tech Republic.

Co-ed tech sessions will be offered in web design, app development, computer programming, digital marketing, blogging and social media. The workshop curriculum is designed to be educative and exciting, tied in with hands-on experience that combines a child’s passion for computers with exposure to top instructors.

“Our approach is centred on creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication. We are teaching our students to create and grow their own apps and online presence whilst maintaining a strong academic and practical focus,” said Amanda Gicharu-Kemoli, Co-founder of Tech Republic.

The innovation camp facilitation fee is only Kenya Shillings 7,100 that will cater for daily meals and training materials.

Tech Republic is a technology education firm dedicated to increasing engagement in technology and computer science by making it more accessible to upper primary and high school students.

With technology being a fundamental part of everyday life, and almost every occupation in our economy, the firm believes computer science and computer programming should be part of our education system’s core curriculum, alongside other science and mathematics courses.

“The 8-4-4 system that offers the Computer Science curriculum takes long to be reviewed therefore whatever high school students consume in schools is obsolete keeping in mind that the technology is quite dynamic. Therefore letting students participate in boot camps helps us help our teenagers keep up with technology. I believe in Africa and the next Zuckerberg coming from Kenya and its quite possible,” said Amanda Gicharu-Kemoli.

Tech Republic’s mission is to ensure every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science and STEM.