Media releases

Westpac supports Code Camp to help teach students skills for the future

Westpac Group today announced its sponsorship of Code Camp, a provider of school holiday programs and classes that teach Australian students how to code and build iPhone apps.

 

Already, Code Camp has helped more than 4,300 Australian school students learn coding skills and aims to reach 25,000 students by 2018. In a typical one week Code Camp experience, students learn to develop one or more of their own iPhone games, while developing technology, problem solving and other skills in the process.

 

Westpac's sponsorship will help support Code Camp's growth and links to the wider technology industry.

 

Westpac Group Chief Information Officer, Dave Curran, said early engagement with primary and high school students in technology is vital for the next generation of Australians to succeed in the digital age.

 

"With Australia transitioning to a knowledge and ideas economy, we recognise the increasing importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to the jobs of the future. Code Camp do a terrific job in engaging young people with technology at a young age, giving them extra skills to take back to the classroom and, perhaps, inspiring them for a career in technology," said Dave Curran.

 

"Through Westpac's sponsorship, we are providing financial support for Code Camp to reach more students while also helping connect them into the wider technology industry, with access to expertise and networks to help sustain their growth".

 

Code Camp today held a workshop for year 6 students from Paddington Public School at Westpac's Technology Campus in Kogarah, which included a coding class and tour of Westpac's innovation centre, The Cave.

 

Code Camp Co-founder and CEO, Benjamin Levi, said Code Camp works closely with schools around Australia to help engage students in tailored programs to meet various needs.

 

"Learning to code is about more than becoming a developer. It allows students to be creative with technology, develop logical thinking and problem solving skills and an understanding of computational thinking. Through app building, students learn about game design, user experience and the entrepreneurial mindset. These skills can be adapted to any industry," said Benjamin Levi.

 

"We have an incredible team of over 200 engaging teachers whose priority is to inspire and challenge students in a fun environment. Our classes range from juniors (Prep and year 1 students), beginner to advanced iPhone app development for primary students, through to web (HTML, CSS, and Javascript) classes for high school students. Westpac's support will help drive the next stage of Code Camp's growth as we seek to reach more students, more schools and more courses around Australia."

 

Code Camp began in December 2013, when tech start-up founders Benjamin Levi and Pete Neill set out to create a solution to provide every Australian student with the opportunity to learn to code and build their own iPhone app.

 

From a team of two, Code Camp has grown to a team of more than 200 passionate teachers who have conducted camps in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Wollongong. Code Camp will also be in Newcastle and Adelaide in the near future.

 

Code Camp run a range of programs, including school holiday camps, after school programs and school incursions. For further information on Code Camp visit www.codecamp.com.au