Left Does Right for the Next Generation
Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you how to think,” said Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple. And we agree. Not only is coding the equivalent of basic literacy in the digital age, it also helps develop critical soft skills like creativity, communication, and empathy. With this in mind, we’ve made it our mission to give kids the opportunity to learn to code. At the same time, to help break down stereotypes, we expose kids to the wide range of careers that can be included in a ‘tech career’, and we make it fun!
400+
kids taught coding through our Hour of Code
200+
kids taught coding through local schools
Kids Tech Day
Hosting Hour of Code for local students in grades 2 -7 at our office in Maple Ridge is one of our all-time favourite events of every year. Hour of Code is a global movement introducing tens of millions of students worldwide to computer science, inspiring kids to learn more, breaking stereotypes, and leaving them feeling empowered. Each year, we host multiple groups of kids in grades 2 -7 for interactive tours of our office, fun and hands-on tutorials, and opportunities to play with robots, 3D printers, Oculus Rifts, and more. Our goal is to introduce kids to various careers in tech, to break down stigmas around coding, and mostly to make it FUN so they are inspired to continue to learn!
Kids Tech Day for Girls
Gender diversity in coding and tech is still heavily male weighted. Even in high school, fewer than 25% of computer science students are girls. We are committed to helping change that! So, in addition to our Hour of Code sessions, we host ‘girls-only’ sessions – and they are always so popular we have wait-lists to attend! As a global movement, the Hour of Code initiative has been so successful in introducing girls to computer science that just in the first Hour of Code, six years ago, more girls tried computer science than had tried in the last 70 years!
Coding In The Classroom
After first hosting Hour of Code, Lefties were so inspired by the excitement and feedback from the students that we wanted to do more! Now, we don’t wait for the annual global Hour of Code event; we volunteer our time providing free workshops in our local elementary schools year-round. We work with teachers to deliver fun, hands-on workshops that help raise awareness among students, teachers, and even parents about the benefits of coding in preparing today’s children for the future and using tech for a better, more equal world.
