You have no items in your cart. Want to get some nice things?
Volunteer Spotlight: Coding & digital skills are the new form of literacy – They help young people think critically, solve problems and create impact.
We spoke with one of our Code Creators volunteer facilitators, Chiderah, about her journey into technology and coding, her passion for social impact and why supporting young people through coding matters to her.
Tell me a little bit about you and your journey into coding/technology.
My journey with coding wasn’t the usual one, as I didn’t have access to Python when I was younger. I started in the development field, analysing data. I decided to do my Master’s in Behavioural Economics and Data Science, in which I was able to further my skills in Python programming. I used Python programming to build games and different coding projects to be able to solve a particular problem.
I then decided to take time each day (especially when I was in school) to analyse anonymised data for healthcare to see how we can use that to solve pending issues with the NHS. After that project, I kept working on different types of projects in my personal capacity, not because I wanted to break ground on anything, but rather to help my consistency when it comes to coding.
GT Scholars was an opportunity for me to teach young people what I’ve learnt and also improve my skills.
Have you had a mentor or tutor in your career or learning journey? How did it help you?
For most of my career, I haven’t had a tutor. Most of my skills in coding and data analysis were self-taught. In terms of mentors, there have been people I looked up to. A friend of mine helped me see that we could actually create change in different ways. Because of that, I looked up to him to solve Claire (a programming language) issues. Another mentor in my life was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is the top leader at the World Trade Organisation. She used an analytical approach to see how we can drive change. Because of that, I was able to push myself to do things that I wouldn’t normally do, like exploring how we can use tech to accelerate impact.
How important has support been in getting you to where you are today?
Support has been critical. I wouldn’t be where I am if people didn’t share resources, recommend opportunities, and share pointers with me. The tech field can become overwhelming. There’ll be a point where you may feel overwhelmed and think to yourself: “Oh, my code is not working!” “I don’t understand this!” or “Why am I doing this in the first place?”
Having a community that could push me and remind me that there’s a reason why I’m doing what I’m doing made a huge difference. That support actually brought me to the GT Scholars community in the first place.
What inspired you to teach coding to young people?
One major thing that inspired me to teach coding to young people is letting them know that what they are seeing is not rocket science. When somebody breaks down the steps in the most understandable way and walks you through it, you realise that it’s not that difficult. Teaching code is a way of opening doors for individuals, especially for individuals who are trying to venture into some form of software engineering or who want to become a data analyst. It is quite an easy step. You just need to start!
Why did you decide to volunteer your time with GT Scholars and the Code Creators Club?
When I was younger, we didn’t have as much access to information as we have now. That experience motivated me to use my time to help others learn through a structured coding programme. GT Scholars was a perfect fit as it combines mentorship and creativity to build games and interesting tech.
I love using technology to build social impact. I joined GT Scholars to support young people in reaching their goals of coding, which is also my own way of creating impact.
How do you make coding sessions engaging and fun for young people?
When building a coding project, you should build it specifically for your target audience. I broke my work down into the easiest way young people could learn. So instead of saying we are creating a challenging game and instilling fear in them, I decided to break things down into manageable steps. This also built enthusiasm for participants.
Secondly, I was able to use images and characters that were relatable to them. So I gave them nice colourful cars, so they could customise their game by choosing the ones they liked, making workshops more engaging.
Why do you think coding and digital skills are valuable for young people today?
Coding and digital skills are the new form of literacy. Young people must learn how to code and understand different programming languages. It helps them to think critically, solve problems and be more creative.
Currently, data and technology shape everything. If you have skills like coding, you are able to understand how the fundamentals of this were created. For example, when watching TikTok, if you have background knowledge on how the algorithm works, you’ll understand it and think to yourself, “How can I improve this, or how can I build my own?” Coding is really important and valuable for young people, not just because it helps them think critically, but also because it helps them see how they can create impact through their own coding projects.
What skills do you think are most important to be a coding facilitator?
You should have a genuine drive for impact and be passionate about making change and building a community of tech leaders. The second thing is patience. As a coding facilitator, we have different scholars joining the workshops. Understanding that everyone learns at a different pace is important. We had extremely fast, brilliant scholars who were able to complete their assignments immediately, but there were some who were not as fast. Being patient and understanding allows you to be able to accommodate every one of those scholars.
Being flexible to change is also important. Knowing that there’s a possibility that some participants’ coding might not work. You need to pivot and change your work for participants to understand and make changes as needed. You also need strong technical skills, communication and empathy to support young people on their coding journey.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in tech?
My first advice is to start small and start now. Each year, tech is getting more advanced. We’re now moving beyond just ‘Hello World’ on Python to creating prompts on AI. AI is next, and who knows what comes after AI! Pick one language and just build up a tiny project.
Secondly, you have to be curious and consistent. I did a project with the NHS. I kept practising with different projects, trying to create something.
Thirdly, you have to use your skills for something important to you, whether it’s games, climate or social impact. If you are able to connect your coding skills to build something important to you, you’ll be able to keep that motivation and consistency going. For example, I created a community called IMPACTDATAHUB and started a DATA4Change programme. It’s an opportunity to use coding AI tools and data to drive change. I’m now using tech and data to see how I can drive change in the world. That is also an important thing to have in mind.
Lastly, try to leverage the community. You can join clubs and online communities with other like-minded people who are trying to build digital skills. If you have a community, they are always encouraging you, and tech becomes much easier because you’re not doing it alone.
Start small, be curious and stay consistent!
GT Scholars is an award-winning education company and social enterprise. We run high-impact tutoring, mentoring & enrichment programmes for young people aged 11-18. If you’d like to give your child the support, skills and strategies needed to achieve their academic and career aspirations, you're in the right place!
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Latest posts by GT Scholars (see all)
