Following its initial launch, Digicel Jamaica partnered with the Amber Group to co-sponsor the National Coding in Schools Programme to assist with the programme’s full roll out. The programme aims to benefit 400,000 students from grade levels one through 13, along with 15,000 teachers across Jamaica. The Coding in Schools Programme will focus on developing students’ digital literacy at an early age as Jamaica moves towards an increasingly digital society. Furthermore, introducing students to coding will strengthen their problem solving and critical thinking skills, which will help them in their future careers.
The Coding in Schools Programme provides teachers involved with resources and training from master coders. These training sessions enhance the teachers’ own coding literacy and technical proficiency skills which, in turn, makes them more knowledgeable in teaching coding to students.
At the time of the programme’s launch, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, spoke on the opportunities for Jamaicans. “Jamaica already has the building blocks to become the Silicon Valley of the region, such as proximity to the largest markets in the world. We have a creative, imaginative and young population and we now need to turn this into an asset.”