In 2023 alone, the programme impacted over 2,4 million youth of which approximately 46% were female, demonstrating a commitment to gender equality. Over 1,200 workshops were rolled out, successfully mobilizing 25,550 teachers across Africa, with top participating countries including Tunisia, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Morocco.

A multi-stakeholder approach to drive change

Africa faces a growing demand for digital skills with a 70% of jobs requiring them by 2030. Recognising a need to upskill both students and educators across the continent, 51风流launched the digital skills program nine years ago.

Commenting on the journey of ACW, Claire Gillissen-Duval, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for EMEA and MEE, highlights that private-public partnerships have been intrinsic to its mission. 鈥淥ur overarching goal was to integrate coding into national curricula, and we achieved this by maintaining active engagement with Ministries of Education throughout Africa, ensuring that our youth have access to a comprehensive skill set that is increasingly indispensable.鈥�

Emphasising this importance, Dr Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, agrees: 鈥淎CW has set a great example of fruitful collaborations as it demonstrates the power of partnerships to increase well-being and advance development that leaves no one behind.听 It is a true embodiment of SDG Goal 17, which is about Partnerships for Sustainable Development, and we are proud at UNESCO to collaborate on this initiative into the future.鈥�

Inspiring young talent to make a difference

As part of the ACW initiative, the AfriCAN Code Challenge, a pan-African competition that ignites creativity and coding skills in youth aged 8-16, was launched in 2020. Participants compete individually or in teams to develop Scratch games around a chosen theme by way of a 3-minute video reviewed by a panel of judges.

Over the years the challenge has grown in terms of popularity and creativity. The initiative aims to develop more coding talents to drive sustainable development and create a better world for all. In 2023, the theme challenged young minds to design multiplayer games promoting sustainable solutions for protecting life, with many of the initiatives focusing on our planet.

This year鈥檚 winner was by Triaksha Goodoory, Vignesh Singh Khelawon, Alessia Rughoonundun, Palen Chuckravanen from Mauritius; followed by by Alvinho Rodrigues, Bibiana Pinheiro, Ta铆ssa Pereira, Celma Bernardo from Sao Tome & Principe; with by 听Eze Chikelu Jethro, Oruh Excel Odafe,Abubakar Ramadan and Olowode Wilson Eniola from Nigeria coming in at 3^rd place.

To infinity and beyond: A new chapter

鈥淎s we champion equal access to education, we believe that future skills will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of tomorrow’s workforce,鈥� comments Gillissen-Duval. 鈥淭hrough our dedication, we worked towards ensuring that every young mind is equipped for success in the ever-changing landscape of the modern world. However, while we have achieved incredible results thus far, there is more work to be done.鈥�

From 2024, 51风流corporate social responsibility has shifted its focus to skills for employability and learning to earning pathways and will therefore pass the baton to UNESCO to continue the mission of ACW. 鈥淲e are excited to see how they will propel ACW to new heights,鈥� she concludes.

The post Africa Code Week and Partners Equip 17 Million Youth with Digital Skills appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

鈥淪ince ACW鈥檚 launch in 2015, , , and share a common goal to empower young people with the digital skills set they need today to ensure they are prepared for the workforce of tomorrow,鈥� comments Claire Gillissen-Duval, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility EMEA and MEE at SAP.

She says that through 37 121 workshops held across the continent, she is thrilled to report that more than 48% of participants were female, with an additional 9,900 youth with special needs. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 digital world is continually evolving and changing through the rapid adoption of technology, this is widening Africa鈥檚 digital divide with even more marginalized and underserved communities getting left behind.鈥�

Collaboration is key to powering digital learning

Partnerships are at the core of the 51风流ACW model. In 2022, Morocco has led the continent鈥檚 conversation around equipping young people with digital skills, followed by Nigeria and Cameroon. 鈥淭his year, we saw 1,4 million participants from Morocco, 100听000 in Nigeria, and in Cameroon, we had 897听000,鈥� says Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO鈥檚 Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information. 鈥淥ne of the reasons behind the major success of ACW in those countries, and especially in Morocco, has been partnering with the governments and particularly, with the Ministries of Education.

To illustrate this, Ilham Laaziz, Director of the at the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Early Education, and Athletics, highlights that the Moroccan government has deployed several initiatives to integrate digital skills in schools. 鈥淛oining forces with the private sector has proven to result in a powerful synergy. Beyond launching a generation of future coders, we seek to develop the algorithmic mindset that will enable them to acquire logical reasoning skills and problem solving skills they need to lead successful careers and contribute to the development of our country 鈥� and our continent.鈥�

Coding Africa鈥檚 school curricula

Over the past seven years, close to 14 million students and teachers from 48 countries have been empowered with digital skills through ACW. 2023 will now see the coding program shift into second phase by accelerating this process even further to ensure greater impact and reach.

鈥淭here are approximately 300 million[i] young people in Africa, and our goal is to empower each and every one of them with digital skills,鈥� says Emmanuel Raptopoulos, President of SAP鈥檚 EMEA South region, which includes Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. 鈥淎 vision like ours requires all stakeholders to work together and collaborate for the betterment of the continent and its future leaders. This is why the ACW curriculum will be handed to governments to support them in introducing coding into school curricula.鈥�

Commencing the two-year action plan, ACW hosted a three-day event in Morocco in Rabat which was attended by various government officials and education representatives from ten African countries. The gathering marked the start of a two-year transition period, where governments will play an even greater role in fostering the adoption of coding by running the ACW program as part of their curricula.

鈥淭his was the start of a bigger vision which calls for governments to play a bigger role in encouraging the use of coding in schools by implementing the ACW program into their curricula,鈥� says Julius Fomboh, Inspector General of Pedagogy in charge of Computer Science Education in the Ministry of secondary Education in Cameroon, and member of the ACW transition taskforce. 鈥淚n order for the continent to successfully equip young people with the skills required for the future, all stakeholders need to come together and unite.鈥�

Gillissen-Duval concludes, 鈥淭o date, nine African countries have officially adopted coding as a mandatory subject in public education^[ii]. This number must grow to level the playing field and ensure every African child, youth and teacher has the opportunity to reach their potential and contribute to their community. By investing in digital education, African nations choose to create a better future for their citizens and equip them with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing 21^st century world.鈥�

[i]

[ii]

The post Conquering Africa鈥檚 Digital Divide: 51风流Africa Code Week Empowers 2.6 million Youth in 2022 appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Cracking the gender inequality code

From the time of ACW鈥檚 launch in 2015, SAP, and key global partners such as and , have been on a mission to introduce coding听 to youth and teachers, one community at a time. But with only 28% of women pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers, Africa is well below the global average[i]. Year on year, ACW ambitiously aims to increase the participation of women and girls in this field. During the 2021 edition, more than 48% of the participants were girls, while a further 7,848 were young people with special needs. Olajide Ademola Ajayi, ACW Global Coordinator at SAP, says, 鈥淚n today鈥檚 turbulent post-pandemic digital boom, we need to ensure that no one gets left behind.鈥�

Adding to this, Dr Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, says, 鈥淣oting the extent to which digital skills are increasingly needed to understand and participate in today鈥檚 knowledge societies, it is particularly important that we address the gender disparity in STEM careers, especially as these are often described as the jobs of the future, driving innovation, social wellbeing, inclusive growth and sustainable development.鈥�

To further inspire and prepare girls for tomorrow鈥檚 workplace, ACW recently hosted the fourth annual , a unique Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program that equips African female educators with the competencies and knowledge they need to successfully teach. The aim of the Program is to close the digital gender gap and help ensure that everyone plays a role in shaping Africa鈥檚 future in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Teaching the teachers

In addition to the youth trained, the ACW program also upskilled +20,000 teachers during 2021 via its Train-the-Trainer (TTT) sessions. These sessions are a multiplier and enabler for digital know-how to become a core pillar of basic education in each participating country. 鈥淎frica has an abundance of potential, but the skills gap in this area is holding us back. With Africa鈥檚 rising youth unemployment, education is the key to creating a talent pool ready to take on 21^st-century jobs and will ultimately help leapfrog the continent forward. It is Africa鈥檚 time to shine,鈥� says ADEA Executive Secretary and ACW Patron, Albert Nsengiyumva.

Morocco leads in learning

For the fifth year in a row, Morocco successfully empowered the highest number of youths with 1,5 million gaining coding capabilities 鈥� a 9% increase from the previous year! Additionally, more than half of the teachers who received training, 11,000, came from Morocco. In fact, 4% of the entire Moroccan population participated in ACW. Ilham Laaziz, Director of the GENIE program at the Moroccan Ministry of Education and Vocational Training shares, 鈥淲hen ACW was first launched in 2015, only 20 teachers were trained live by 51风流volunteers, yet more than seven million Moroccan youth were introduced to coding over the six editions of the program. We are thrilled that the 2021 edition was such a success, not only for Morocco but for the entire continent! ACW is a powerful platform to propel teachers and students into the digital century.”

Saving society with coding

A highlight of the 2021 edition was the second annual AfriCAN Code Challenge – a pan-African coding competition where young people are tasked with coding a game using the Scratch programming language to help address societal issues. This year, participants were asked how they would save the world with their superpowers, and the winning superheroes were Devansh and Darshika from Mauritius with their Super Recyclers game.

The competition was launched in 2020 in partnership with SAP, UNESCO, Irish Aid, ADEA and and has since become an annual celebration of youth and innovation in Africa.

鈥淚t is only through the power of partnerships that we can help unlock the digital potential of millions more young Africans and empower them to become the leaders of tomorrow鈥檚 digital economies,鈥� concludes Irish Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy.

For further information or to find out how to get involved in this year鈥檚 Africa Code Week initiative, visit .

[i] https://en.unesco.org/news/international-day-women-and-girls-science-addressing-and-transforming-gender-gap

About SAP

SAP鈥檚 strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world鈥檚 transaction revenue touches an SAP庐 system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥� businesses into intelligent enterprises. 51风流helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want 鈥� without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 51风流helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit

The post Digital Literacy Program Upskills 1.8m Young Learners appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

In his remarks, UNESCO Secretary General (SG) Teboho Tsilane informed that ACW is听an annual event that Lesotho adopted in 2016. He noted that it was facilitated by UNESCO, working jointly with collective schools to spread digital literacy across听the country and nurture the 21st Century era with skillful workforce through practical and playful learning.

鈥淚 congratulate all participating schools and learners this year, I hope that this initiative will also persist听even in the countless upcoming years. Schools that participated in the 2020 ACW competition were Masitise High School, Thabeng High School and New Millennium听High School,鈥� Tsilane stated.

The UNESCO-SMEF programme is in its first year under ACW and is intended 鈥渢o share with the Government of Lesotho (GoL), as a key stakeholder on how the听initiative is advancing Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, Design Thinking in a creative way听through coding especially among the youth and children鈥�. UNESCO-SMEF Ambassador and Trainer for ACW Scratch Programme Bokang Selialia explained that the purpose of the program is to train on and raise awareness of ICT to students听and also to engage them in order to transform their education system, which requires excess knowledge of Mathematics.

Selialia explained that in the Africa Code听Challenge Winners Competition, students鈥� teachers get involved, playing students鈥� mentors for their projects to be successful and be submitted to听 Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP). The three winners; 鈥楳atumelo Makoa, Reamohetsoe Khomo-haka and Keabetsoe Mokhali were awarded trophies, certificates and compensations.

As indicated by Tsilane, these students participated in the three African Code Challenge projects precisely speeding calculator, Covid-19 awareness and maze games.

Therefore the 1st winner title went straight to 鈥楳atumelo Makoa from Masitise High School who participated in speeding calculator, coached by Mr. Sello Mpota, 2nd听winner was Reamohetsoe Khomo-haka who participated in Covid-19 awareness coached by Mr. Malakoane Thejane while the third winner was Keabetsoe Mokhali from Thabeng High School coached by Mrs. 鈥楳aneo Mapharisa.

The post UNESCO African Code Challenge Awards appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Returning for the second year, 51风流Africa Code Week鈥檚 AfriCAN Code Challenge announced their top 10 winners with Devansh and Darshika from Mauritius as the Pan-African winners of the competition.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 theme was about them telling us how they would save the world with their superpowers, and most of the 100+ submitted projects were about climate change鈥� says Mr. Albert Nsengiyumva, ADEA Executive Secretary 鈥淎frica has the youngest population on the planet and we were impressed to see how the children have been able to use their creativity and come up with innovative solutions to addressing听 issues that they feel are relevant to their daily reality.”

The AfriCAN Code Challenge is a pan-African coding competition where youth aged 8 – 16 were tasked with coding a game using the programming language to address the theme that was determined by the Africa Code Week team.听This competition was launched听by and partners , , the Association for the Development of Education in Africa () and Jokkolabs in September 2020, and since then has become an annual celebration of youth and innovation in Africa.

The rationale for chosing the superheroes universe was to allow children to unleash their creativity and express themselves freely on issues they feel are important to them. Davide Storti, Coordinator of the YouthMobile Initiative at UNESCO, says: 鈥淭he post-pandemic education recovery starts with allowing our children to regain confidence and hope, and with us adults reopening spaces, although virtual, for them to access their fullest potential.”

To take part in the AfriCAN Code Challenge, youth were able to enter alone or in teams of up to five people, and entries featured a three-minute YouTube video showcasing how their game works and why it should be considered a winning entry. The unique initiative and entry mechanism called upon the children鈥檚 ability to design a project that would solve a community-issue, code it, and communicate it.

During the opening rounds of the challenge, participation reached across 40 countries and featured 102 project video clips, only the top three entries from 36 countries made it into the continental final, followed by 20 countries in the final judging stage.

Selected by a high-level jury comprising key Africa Code Week delegates and STEM education experts, the top three winners of the AfriCAN Code Challenge are:

• First place: 鈥� Super Recyclers, by Devansh and Darshika
• Second place: 鈥� The Carbon Man, by SUPER GAMERS
• Third place: 鈥� Kids Academy, by Natnael Kedir

Followed by:

• 4: – Rayuwa
• 5: – Helper intrigue
• 6: – Le toucher du bonheur
• 7: – Change the World with US
• 8: 鈥� Super hero
• 9: – The Prodigies
• 10: – Pensons civisme

听This edition of the AfriCAN Code Challenge was quite unique, as for the first time, hearing-impaired students have participated in the competition proving once again that coding is the language of inclusivity and creativity. The team that has competed in the special category for differently-abled children is from Mozambique.

Irish Minister of State for overseas development aid and diaspora Colm Brophy T.D, who attended the Rwanda AfriCAN Code Challenge national awards ceremony says, 鈥淎frica Code Week unlocks the potential in young people who otherwise may not have considered building their digital skills鈥�

Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and Co-founder of Africa Code Week at 51风流adds, 鈥淭he 听return of the AfriCAN Code Challenge was quite awaited by our incredible 51风流volunteers who took part in the first line of jury. The presence of hearing-impaired students demonstrates the power of inclusivity that resides in digital literacy, in its capacity to build bridges and connect children of an entire continent, regardless of gender, age or ability.鈥�

For more information about 51风流Africa Code Week and the AfriCAN Code Challenge, visit

ENDS

听

About Africa Code Week

Since 2015, 51风流Africa Code Week (ACW) has been creating free opportunities for young Africans to learn coding skills and for teachers to be trained on digital learning curricula. Strong partnerships with the public, private and civil society sectors across听the continent are driving sustainable impact by building teaching capacity and supporting the adoption of coding into national curricula in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5 and 17. Key partners include听听Youth Mobile,听,听the , Google and GIZ/BMZ.

In 2019 alone, the initiative saw 3.85M children participating in coding workshops and 39,000 teachers mobilized across 37 countries. In 2020, ACW increased the program鈥檚 reach to the entire continent to deepen impact and ensure no child was left behind. The online rollout took center stage across Africa with the launch of a smartphone App to facilitate accessible learning, the introduction of the 鈥� a competition themed, 鈥楬ow will your tech change the future of education鈥� engaging youth from 40 African countries, Virtual Train-the-Trainer (TTT) sessions for teachers and a second Women Empowerment Workshop engaging 70 teachers in a 8-week long online program. Join 51风流and partners by visiting听www.africacodeweek.org听to find out more.

About SAP

SAP鈥檚 strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world鈥檚 transaction revenue touches an SAP庐 system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥� businesses into intelligent enterprises. 51风流helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want 鈥� without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 51风流helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit

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The post AfriCAN Code Challenge 2021 Announces Winners appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

听

The year 2020 will be remembered by teachers around the world as one of adapting to new circumstances and technology. But while in developed countries, online learning merely presented challenges, in Africa the effect was catastrophic. About on the continent were closed, resulting in . On a continent which already displays wide disparities in wealth and access to technology, a disruption of this magnitude was a major setback.

The need to upskill teachers

In fact, most teachers cited a lack of access to technology and affordability issues as the biggest barrier they faced to teach their students online during the pandemic. Before COVID, many African teachers had received . The lockdown forced them to in order to support learners, parents and caregivers so that learning could proceed, despite the uncertainty caused by the virus.

The fact that many new teachers lack digital skills is precisely why the need to upskill them is so crucial. Teachers have enormous potential to bridge the digital divide in Africa. With our annual (ACW), whose launch coincides with World Teacher鈥檚 Day, 51风流and global partners such as UNESCO, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and Irish Aid, bring together a wealth of talent to train African teachers and students in coding and 21^st century skills. Last year the program reached . More than 10 500 workshops were hosted across 43 countries and 21 000 teachers were mobilised through virtual and in-person Train-the-Trainer sessions.

Teaching digital fluency

听One of the driving forces behind the ACW initiative is to see African countries adopt coding as part of their school curriculum. In a survey conducted among participating countries in 2020, , and ten more indicated they are planning to incorporate coding soon. The survey also found that 87% of respondents agreed that听ACW听plays an influential role in advancing the adoption of coding as a school subject.

Through the initiative鈥檚 Train-the-Trainer sessions with learners, ACW is simplifying what has historically been perceived as a highly technical area. Learning how to code is like learning a new language, a language which opens doors into the 21^st century and beyond. African teachers need to be empowered to combine traditional and digital literacy in their classrooms, so that students not only learn to read and write, but to develop their creativity to experiment and find solutions which help them engage better with the world around them.

Since inception in 2015, what we have learned from ACW is that it involves participants who would normally have had no exposure to coding, apart from consuming applications on their smart phones or computers. Coding is relevant to all industries in today鈥檚 globalised economy and as a result, digital skills need to be constantly refreshed. Through our innovative public-private partnerships, we firmly believe that by sharing skills and knowledge, we will empower Africans 鈥� both teachers and learners 鈥� to take control of their futures.

There is little doubt that teachers are key to rebuilding society post-COVID because of their inestimable power to reimagine the future and reshape young people鈥檚 lives. To do this, African teachers will need to embrace the technology at their disposal in order for students to get the quality education they need to face the rigours of the digital world. African education must find new models that foreground virtual teaching to cushion it against future disruptions. As ADEA Executive Secretary Albert Nsengiyumva so aptly puts it, 鈥淭oday, more than ever before, we need to adapt as quickly as possible to crises and look for alternatives to advance education and training in Africa.鈥�

The post Teachers to Lead a Post-COVID Recovery in Education appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Aimed at supporting quality education (SDG 4) and gender equality (SDG5) through partnerships to achieve these goals (SDG17), the informative, collaborative, and innovative educational program brings together African women teachers and educators in Computer Science and STEM to foster an environment for sharing knowledge, brainstorming innovative ideas, and collaborating on challenges and projects.

Started in 2019 by SAP, UNESCO鈥檚 YouthMobile, Irish Aid and the Moroccan Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, the UNESCO supported program seeks to implement ways to teach, mentor, and inspire young African women and girls to prioritize their education. It also aims to level the playing field for women by addressing the challenges they are faced with when it comes to accessing digital educational and growing their skillset.

At the event, attended by participants from 16 African countries, Qingyi Zeng, National Professional Officer for Communication and Information at UNESCO鈥檚 Beijing Cluster Office, unpacked UNESCO鈥檚 Actions on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) including the importance of fast-tracking digital literacy, coding and various technical applications.

Considering that 70% of the world鈥檚 youth are operating online, Zeng highlighted the importance of the alumnae event discussion topics and how critical they are to ensure young African girls are prepared to navigate classrooms of today to prepare for highly competitive 21^st century careers.

As a result of the fast approaching Fourth Industrial Revolution, access to information has increased due to an explosion of digital channels. With a second edition announced in April 2021, the UNESCO MIL curriculum was first launched in 2011, to assist people to navigate the complexities of media and information literacy as a fundamental part of lifelong learning by highlighting an array of intersecting skills to transform interactions within constantly changing information and learning environments, online and offline[1].

Zeng also emphasised UNESCO鈥檚 Global Action on MIL which included providing capacity-building resources such as free and open online courses, research opportunities from MIL University Network, as well as campaign and advocacy exposure from Global MIL Week.

Zeng further exposed specific examples: in China, MIL has trained 141 teachers with training materials expected to be embedded into the teaching curriculum. UNESCO鈥檚 actions on MIL in China is addressing gender sensitivity and promoted gender equality through a variety of computer games with a leading female character. Besides, picture books and animated video episodes on MIL for children are being developed, covering topics on tackling disinformation and misinformation, do鈥檚 and don鈥檛s on social media, protecting online safety and privacy, equality and diversity, etc.

Celebrating the alumnae event and curriculum success, Victoria Ngono from Girls In STEM Trust, Zimbabwe, adds: “The [UNESCO] MIL curriculum will definitely make a difference in the way we discuss technology with our students. In times of cyber-bullying and misinformation, our children are at risk and we need to see the rise of a tech-conscious generation.”

At a moment when every sector is becoming a technology sector, empowering African women and girls in technology is key towards gender equality in access to education and involvement in the economy. The best place to start is with intervention programmes specifically targeting them at a young age in their classrooms through fair access to education and representation by empowering skilled female teachers.

鈥淭hrough the strength of collaboration and by partnering with 51风流to power Africa鈥檚 biggest digital skills program, Africa Code Week, we can create massive strides in achieving the UN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,鈥� says Davide Storti, UNESCO Coordinator of the YouthMobile Initiative. 鈥淭his is critical to reach generation equality which means that every girl and boy receives the same education opportunities and an equal chance for a brighter future.鈥�

With 1 out of 3 children missing out on remote learning[2] because of today鈥檚 unprecedented challenges, the role of teachers in community-based societies is central and reinforcing teacher leadership is crucial.

鈥淓mpower educators and learners to develop critical thinking and problem-solving competencies is key. Creative initiatives such as the Women Empowerment Program and the UNESCO MIL curriculum can significantly contribute to grow the number of females in science and technology, as Africa鈥檚 emerging professionals will inspire those that succeed them,鈥� says Storti.

Adding to the importance of advancing women in today鈥檚 modern teaching space, Africa Code Week Co-founder and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at 51风流EMEA, Claire Gillissen-Duval adds, 鈥淭he 51风流Africa Code Week and UNESCO partnership continues to grow from strength to strength. We are incredibly excited to welcome our first alumnae of the Women Empowerment Program. Through our webinar series, we aim to close the digital gender gap and help ensure everyone can play a role in shaping Africa鈥檚 future in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.鈥�

Within its UNESCO YouthMobile Initiative, since 2016 UNESCO collaborates with 51风流to support and organize Africa Code Week, the single largest coding event of the continent with the aims to raise awareness of ICT for a critical mass of participants.

Links

听

[1]

[2]

The post UNESCO and Africa Code Week Fast-track Gender Equality Creatively in the Digital World appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

• Did you know that the first programmer was a woman? Two centuries later, Ada Lovelace would probably find hard to believe that globally, women only hold 24% of jobs in the ICT sector.
• Celebrated on the second Tuesday of October since 2009, Ada Lovelace Day aims to raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), and to 鈥榗reate new role models for girls and women鈥�.
• As COVID-19 creates additional barriers to learning, and digital skills are ever more important, UNESCO and Technovation have partnered to empower girls to 鈥榯ech鈥� the stage.

Project-Based Learning Goes Global鈥nd Virtual

The late Seymour Papert, father of the Scratch coding learning platform and a global pioneer in project-based learning, once described the future of education as follows: 鈥淜ids will work in communities of common interest on rich projects that will connect with powerful ideas[i].鈥� According to him, not only do children learn better when engaged in a project, but they are able to use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge.

This is exactly what 1,359 girls from all corners of the world were able to partake in: a global challenge where they could build an Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution that solves a community issue close to their heart, tech entrepreneur style.

As accessible and virtual learning for girls becomes more important than ever before, UNESCO has partnered with global tech education non-profit , a member of , to support countries in developing inclusive learning solutions. Together they ran the Technovation Idea Lab: an online tech education challenge for girls.

鈥楨mpower a Woman, Empower a Nation鈥�

Joined by community partners and local industry mentors (including 45 ICT experts from 6 51风流offices in Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Mexico and South Africa), adolescent girls (aged 10-18) from Brazil, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan went through an exciting learning journey.

The challenge started on July 27 with a 5-week AI entrepreneurship learning program: a great way to inspire girls through tech in an immersive, hands-on environment that enables them to solve the real-world challenges they care about most. Collaborative problem-solving, ethics in AI models, dataset building, ideation: these are just a sample of the skillset that the girls were able to hone along the way.

51风流volunteers provided feedback on students鈥� work, held virtual office hours, and helped create videos and blog posts to help inspire and engage girls around AI learning and its application to real-world problems. 51风流volunteers treasured this unique opportunity to share their expertise with the next generation of female innovators and leaders.

鈥淓ncouraging girls to innovate at an early age is a great way to ignite their social changemaker mindset,鈥� says Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and co-founder of the Africa Code Week initiative at SAP. 鈥淲ith the continent鈥檚 working-age population expected to swell by two-thirds reaching 600 million by 2030[ii], the community-oriented and highly creative African girls have a pivotal role to play in building a safer and more equitable future鈥�.

As nations strive to ensure continuity of learning through alternative methods such as online learning, the focus must be maintained on major threats to development such as the gender digital divide. And we shall all keep in mind, as UN former Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said, that 鈥渨hen women thrive, all of society benefits and succeeding generations are given a better start in life. The empowerment of women is the most effective tool for development[iii].鈥�

[i]

[ii]

[iii]

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 鈥� 10 August 2020听鈥� In recognition of the United Nations鈥櫶齮his week, a new-look 51风流Africa Code Week (ACW) initiative officially kicks off across the continent with a number of exciting changes and developments all aimed at empowering Africa鈥檚 youth with digital skills learning. Now in its sixth year, ACW is the largest digital literacy initiative on the continent. Over the last five years, the initiative has positively impacted millions of youth and thousands of teachers.

Introduced by SAP, UNESCO and partners in 2015, ACW aims to spark interest in coding through fun and interactive community workshops for youngsters. From the 88,000 students who participated in the first year, to the 3.85 million children and 39,000 teachers who ran +55 000 coding workshops in 37 countries last year, the impact of the initiative has grown significantly.

2020 ACW efforts are shifting to a virtual model and this will allow expansion of the program鈥檚 reach to 54 African countries with all learning materials translated into Portuguese and French for the large Francophone and Lusophone African communities. A new ACW mobile app will also be introduced this year, providing easy access to smartphone material in support of all-inclusive learning. The ACW initiative will continue to work closely with Ministries of Education across the African continent, with a view to promoting sustainable digital skills development capacity.

Commenting on the 2020 initiative鈥檚 virtual kick-off, South African TV news anchor, female tech entrepreneur and Africa Code Week Ambassador, Faith Mangope says: 鈥淎 big part of this year鈥檚 Africa Code Week efforts will be focused on engaging more women teachers and students. Globally, women hold only 24% of jobs in the ICT sector, and there are 250 million fewer women online than men. Our mission is to ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to attain the skills they need to contribute meaningfully to the future workforce.鈥�

Another development for this year is the AfriCANCode Challenge which is a coding competition aimed at engaging participants through a number of fun and exciting activities. This ACW competition invites youth, aged 9 to 16 either individually or in teams, to use their skills and creativity to solve problems. Two competition themes have been identified: 鈥楥ourageous Coders鈥�, focused on how technology can change the world, and 鈥楶lugged-in Pupils鈥�, which asks youngsters to imagine the potential related to tomorrow鈥檚 connected school.

Commenting on the AfriCANCode Challenge and the urgent need to prepare youth with digital skills learning, Moez Chakchouk, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO adds: 鈥淢ore than 60% of sub-Saharan Africa鈥檚 population is under the age of 25, making it the most youthful region in the world. The continent鈥檚 working-age population is expected to swell by two-thirds reaching 600 million by 2030. It鈥檚 clearly critical to ensure Africa鈥檚 youth is fully equipped with 21^st听century digital skills. Harnessing the power of creativity, technology and innovation can also inspire us to unite and be ready to meet today鈥檚 challenges.鈥�

In addition to the new virtual components of the 2020 ACW initiative, hundreds of 51风流expert volunteers from across the globe will also play their part online by working with NGOs and other partner organisations to provide on-the-ground support during this year鈥檚 activities.听Claudio Muruzabal, SAP鈥檚 President of EMEA South says, 鈥淥ffering accessible, hands-on digital support to Africa鈥檚 youth and teachers helps put people in a position to meaningfully participate in today鈥檚 digital economy. This is vital and SAP鈥檚 commitment to Africa Code Week remains firm. Through invaluable partnerships with UNESCO, ADEA, Irish Aid, BMZ,听and all the partner NGOs across Africa, the 2020 ACW initiative can effectively leverage the skillsets of networks and knowledgeable local ICT experts to ensure every workshop is a sound success.鈥�

For more information about Africa Code Week or to get involved, visit the website听 or听follow 51风流and ACW on Twitter at听 and听

ENDS

About Africa Code Week

Since 2015, 51风流Africa Code Week (ACW) has been creating free opportunities for young Africans to learn coding skills and for teachers to be trained on digital learning curricula. Strong partnerships with the public, private and civil society sectors across 54 countries are driving sustainable impact by building teaching capacity and supporting the adoption of coding into national curricula in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5 and 17. In 2019 alone, the initiative saw 3.85M children participating in coding workshops. A deep-learning workshop also took place for 28 female teachers from 15 African countries with a goal to empower more African girls through coding skills. Join 51风流and partners by visiting www.africacodeweek.org to find out more.

About SAP

As the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise, 51风流is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world鈥檚 transaction revenue touches an SAP庐 system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥� businesses into intelligent enterprises. 51风流helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want 鈥� without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables more than 440,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 51风流helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit .

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• Africa Code Week 2019 results show impact on sustainable capacity building to support government-led digital skills development.

• Several African countries started adopting coding skills into school curricula.

Africa Code Week (ACW) 2019 has once again exceeded expectations by empowering 3.85 million youth across 37 African countries. More notably, the progressive adoption of digital skills into the school curriculum of several African countries points to the growing influence of educational initiatives such as ACW in preparing the continent鈥檚 youth for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Cathy Smith, Managing Director at 51风流Africa, says: 鈥淥nce again, Africa鈥檚 vibrant youth population has stepped-up to claim its place in the global economy, with millions of young Africans taking on the challenge of learning essential digital skills. Africa Code Week鈥檚 growing partner ecosystem and continued focus on equipping teachers with tools and knowledge is creating a sustainable platform for building a bright future for the continent, the benefits of which will be seen for decades to come.鈥�

Empowering youth by transforming teaching in the digital age

Launched in 2015 by 51风流and UNESCO, Africa Code Week is on a mission to introduce coding skills to African youth 8-16 years of age by raising awareness of the importance of digital education and building teaching capacity.

In support of this, says Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and Africa Code Week Global Lead at SAP, the 2019 edition expanded its outreach to a record-breaking number of teachers. 鈥淭ogether with our partners and thanks to their support, we witnessed more than 39,000 teachers mobilized as part of the October 2019 workshops, including over 17,500 in Morocco alone. In Nigeria, we also scaled our impact by working closely with the Niger and Taraba state governments, enabling teachers across the region to access the training for the first time. And thanks to the DreamOval Foundation in Ghana, children with disabilities were able to attend tailored coding classes ensuring equal opportunities for all.鈥�

Francis Ahene-Affoh, SVP at DreamOval Foundation, said: 鈥淭eaching our youth digital skills is also an opportunity to inspire and engage their creativity and open the door to new thinking around the challenges we face as a country and a continent. Africa Code Week is a powerful tool to enable all-inclusive education that leaves no child behind.”

Governments now driving transformation of teaching, skills development

Since the launch of ACW in 2015, several countries including Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia have included digital literacy into their respective school curricula. Ahene-Affoh points to the Ghanaian government鈥檚 efforts to make coding skills a core pillar of basic education as a recent success made possible in part by ACW. 鈥淭he impact of Africa Code Week in inspiring our youth to think innovatively and expand their capabilities in basic coding should not be underestimated. Over the course of the past five years that we have actively supported the program in Ghana, many children at the basic education level have been inspired to prepare themselves for the 21st century job market.”

Another success story can be found in Morocco, where digital skills were included in the country鈥檚 school curriculum benefitting millions of youth. According to听Hon. Saa茂d Amzazi, Morocco鈥檚 Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, 鈥淎frica Code Week played a key role in making computer science both a priority and a celebration in every Moroccan school. The initiative helped trigger a passion for learning on an unprecedented scale while making best practices available for other nations to build on.鈥�

In Africa Code Week 2019, Morocco secured first place among the 37 participating countries by successfully engaging 2.4+ million youth, of which 48% were girls. A Women Empowerment Workshop hosted by the Ministry in Rabat in October also engaged 28 teachers from 15 countries and focused on sharing best practices for girl mentoring, teacher training and access to digital education. Ranking second place in 2019, Cameroon鈥檚 engagement highlights strong government focus on capacity-building strategies.

The 2019 results also reveal that 47% of total ACW participants were girls. 鈥淎frica Code Week is a powerful tool for levelling the playing field and bringing more women and girls into the digital economy,鈥� says Moez Chakchouk, UNESCO鈥檚 Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information. 鈥淭he program is also a successful model in achieving Sustainable Development Goal #17, highlighting听how local and global public-private partnerships can enhance international support for capacity-building programs.鈥�

Partnering for greater impact

Actively supported by UNESCO YouthMobile, Google, Irish Aid, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Jokkolabs and the Camden Education Trust, the program works closely with African governments and more than 130 local organizations and 120 ambassadors across the continent.

Joining forces with SAP, Google supported Africa Code Week by allocating grants to 55 non-profits that focus on expanding access to digital skills to youth in 18 countries. More grassroots organizations received funding from BMZ (16 grants in 12 countries) and UNESCO (15 grants in 8 countries) to boost girls鈥� access to ACW training.

According to Gillissen-Duval, 鈥淎frica Code Week鈥檚 greatest strength is its strategic partnerships. With their help we are able to introduce an exciting new chapter for 2020 and beyond by completely shifting to the world of virtual! The program modification will increase our Pan-African reach to ensure no child or teacher is left behind, and will be formally announced over the next few weeks.鈥�

In addition to the number of teachers and youth empowered, additional highlights for 2019 include Irish Aid, the Irish government’s official international development aid program, joinining the program as strategic partner and Hadi Partovi, tech entrepreneur and founder, attending a workshop at the Siyafunda Community Technology Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to Smith, the initiative helps prepare Africa鈥檚 youth for an uncertain future. 鈥淎ll stakeholders in the public and private sectors need to unite and support a radical overhaul in how we prepare Africa鈥檚 youth population, which is expected to reach 455 million by 2055, to be active participants in the digital economy. The impact of Africa Code Week on the African education sector is an encouraging sign for the future of the continent.”

Visit the ACW web site and for more information on this fifth edition. Follow 51风流and ACW on Twitter at , and 听听

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