October 24, 2022
The progressive adoption of digital skills in Ghana’s educational curriculum is showcasing the importance of increasing access to digital skills especially among young people. The Africa Code Week (ACW) initiative has over the past seven years supported efforts in driving the access to digital skills to teachers and students across Africa. Activities lined up for Africa Code Week kicked off in Ghana on Monday 24th October 2022.
Africa Code Week is the largest digital literacy initiative across the African continent which gives the opportunity to students and teachers to learn and explore opportunities in technology. A Train the Trainer program for Africa Code Week was held in September for 980 teachers from different schools across Ghana.
Teachers were taught basic coding skills using the SCRATCH coding program by experts in the field of technology. The skills acquired by the teachers are being taught to over 90,000 students during Africa Code Week.
In this rapidly changing technological world, it is essential for students to develop skills needed to be critical thinkers and industry leaders and this can be achieved by encouraging them to think outside the box and approach issues in their communities with a new perspective.
It is also important for them to take advantage of the immense opportunities to participate actively in the global economy. Africa Code Week offers the opportunity for students to develop and sustain interest in acquiring digital skills needed to compete globally.
Over the past 9 years the DreamOval Foundation has implemented programs such as the African Code Challenge, Female in Tech Initiative(FeMITI), the Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize, iTeach, and free ICT training for teachers from deprived communities to support in bridging the digital and gender skills gap.
Africa Code Week has been running in Ghana since 2015 and is instilling digital literacy and coding skills in the younger generation to drive sustainable digital learning skills in Ghana and across Africa .
This initiative was spearheaded by SAP as part of its social investment to drive sustainable growth in Africa. A number of key global partners, including UNESCO, Irish Aid, and Camden Education Trust support the initiative.
In Ghana, the DreamOval Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES), is at the forefront of Africa Code Week. Visit DreamOval Foundation’s website at www.dreamoval.org and social media pages for more information and updates on Africa Code Week.