CHEK Upside: New kids’ coding centre in West Shore prepares for grand opening

Across from Langford City Hall sits the beginnings of a technical education centre.

Jesse Bowness has years of experience in B.C.’s tech sector. So when he noticed a gap in educating youth for future jobs in the industry, Bowness set about finding a way to introduce children to the world of coding.

“I started thinking what could I do to help grow this tech sector,” says Bowness.

“I was talking to some friends and colleagues at VIATEC and I was also looking for my own opportunities here and we saw such a tremendous desire for this education.”

After a brief pilot program Bowness decided to team up with Code Ninjas, a worldwide kids coding franchise that allows children to explore technology by building their own video games.

“We’re part of a network of over 300 Code Ninjas locations,” says Bowness.

“Daily we’re teaching thousands of kids how to do computer programming…we’re teaching them STEM and at the same time we’re fostering tons of creativity, collaboration and teamwork.”

While there’s still some work to do before opening day to get the centre ready, Bowness is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with the West Shore.

“Super excited every time I get the chance to show coding education to new parents and kids because the kids have never learned like this before,” says Bowness.

“Coding offers them an immediate feedback loop on everything they’re working on and so computational thinking, a core skill set for the world of work that’s coming towards our children, is already being developed.”

Code Ninjas Westshore opens Tuesday, June 22. For more information visit the Code Ninjas’ website.

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