Could the next big coding sensation come from Cornwall? Young programmers urged to sign up to ‘Festival of Code’ this summer
Young children from Cornwall with a keen eye for coding are being urged to sign up to a major coding competition which is taking place across the UK this summer between 28th July and 3rd August.
The Academy for Innovation and Research in Cornwall is this year a host centre for the Festival of Code, which will see under 19s from the area be presented with real world problems which they will be challenged to address through their self-taught hacking skills.
They will be supported by Young Rewired State’s team of experts to help them create websites, prototypes and inventive applications, alongside peers with the same passion for coding.
The Festival of Code will take place in 58 cities across the UK and will cumulate in a grand finale weekend, whereby each of the centres will descend on the i-DAT at Plymouth University for a supervised weekend of celebrations from Friday 1st August to Sunday 3rd August.
The annual Festival of Code is organised by Young Rewired State, a not-for-profit organisation, whose aim it is to find and foster every young person with a love of coding and a determination to teach themselves the technological skill. Since its establishment, Young Rewired State has rapidly grown to be a huge independent global network of children and this year will be its 6th anniversary.
The initiative is being supported by The Met Office, The University of Plymouth amongst others.
During the weekend, the Cornwall youngsters will have the chance to present their designs back to a panel of judges, meet fellow peers and celebrate a week of achievements. Judges will be a mix of influencers and industry names who are spearheading coding across the country.
As per tradition, Young Rewired State has also put together an impressive line-up of guest speakers, who will be present on the Friday to share their own experiences from within the technology sector. Confirmed speakers include leader of the Hour of Code in the UK Avid Larizadeh, musician and CEO of Interlude Yoni Bloch and George Mpanga – also known as George the Poet
For the majority, technology has become a necessity in everyday life and this has resulted in a need for a workforce with the ability to code. Coding is needed to create software that provides us with our iPhones, computers, apps, games and much more. Young Rewired State believes that if children with a natural desire to code are encouraged to delve into their passion, they will be well-equipped with a set of hugely desirable skills for their future.
The Festival of Code will provide an opportunity for young people nationwide to become engaged with design and coding challenges, to improve their skills whilst working with programming professional.
Last year’s Festival of Code saw designs such as ProjectHermes, a platform for outing internet trolls, Mortune, a music app which played new artists according to your preferences and Establish.Me, a website which unites town councils, residents and businesses and take advantage of empty shop spaces scoop top prizes. The week proved that with the support of Young Rewired State and by working alongside like-minded peers, the youngsters could confront everyday problems and create viable solutions.
Emma Mulqueeny, CEO Young Rewired State, said:
“Young Rewired State’s ambition is to find and foster every child driven to teach themselves to code. Connect them to each other, and a community of mentors, to solve real world problems through open data.
The Festival of Code is our annual week-long celebration. It provides these young people with an environment that emboldens their passion for coding and programming. It gives them a chance to work in partnership with their coding peers, learn from the experts and create new digital solutions to problems we all face! The week will be very hands on with plenty of data to get stuck into, as well as the chance to hear from some top speakers from across the industry.
We can’t wait to visit Cornwall this year and celebrate the nation’s young coding talent once again – we are urging youngsters all across the area to sign up and join us this for what will be a week of fun, hacks and challenges.â€
Becca Gill, host centre co-ordinator in Cornwall said:
“We’re delighted to be opening the doors of the Academy for Innovation and Research this summer and host the Festival of Code this year. This really is a fantastic event, and an invaluable one in giving the next generation a voice and helping to harness their skills for the future.
I look forward to seeing what designs come out of Cornwall this year and helping these youngsters in this exciting digital journey they’re on.â€
All information on the Festival of Code, including Frequently Asked Questions for parents and information on how to sign up can be found at http://festivalofco.de/.
Notes to editors:-
- The Festival of Code runs from Monday 28th July to Thursday 31st July in 58 host centres across the UK. It culminates in a long weekend at the i-Dat at Plymouth University from Friday 1st August to Sunday 3rd August
- The Festival of Code is open to any young person aged 19 or under with a basic understanding of coding. Young people with no programming experience are advised to visit www.youngrewiredstate.org to familiarise themselves with the necessary software
- For more information, contact Laura Sprinks: [email protected] or Kaitlin Dunning: [email protected]