Well, children always surprise us, don’t they, so when we brought some volunteers who were interested in teaching coding, and invited several Mio Robots to come along, we didn’t know what to expect. Well, we soon learned that students of all ages were clamoring to get into our coding sessions, and then they had a hard time leaving when the sessions were over.

Why is coding so special? For one, it uses a universal language, so every child everywhere can jump right in and share the same words, so to speak.

Second, it helps students solve problems, be creative, visualize paths, see the immediate fruits of their labors, be more detailed, understand the cause-and-effect of their decisions, and, down the road, be better prepared for careers; more and more, candidates must have some familiarity with coding to get a job.

Our pilot program was so well received that we would love to bring coding to schools on a full-time basis. As coding spreads in popularity throughout South African schools in more “well served areas,” we will play whatever role we can in making sure that the children in the rural regions get the same opportunities.