(Neosho, MO) – Crowder College supported Youth Coding League teams in southwest Missouri in 2022 through funding received from the Catalyze grant in late 2021. The grant, “Creating Digital Pathways in the Rural Heartland,” allowed Crowder to earn $450,000 to develop digital talent in our region.
“The grant opportunity from Catalyze provided an opportunity to help develop in-demand digital skills in rural communities and schools throughout southwest Missouri,” stated Dr. Chett Daniel, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, Crowder. “Students in grades fifth through eighth are developing skills and confidence in software development, and Crowder is working to develop career pathways for students in a variety of jobs in the growing digital economy. It’s exciting to see so many area rural schools thriving with this grant opportunity.”
Funding allowed Crowder College to sponsor Youth Coding Leagues in the following schools while working with Codefi partners based in Cape Girardeau:
- Carthage Sixth Grade Center, Grades 5 and 6
- Cassville Intermediate, Grades 5 and 6
- Lamar West Elementary, Grades 5 and 6
- Liberal Elementary School, Grades 5 and 6
- Neosho Middle School, Grades 5 and 6
- Noel Elementary, Grades 5 and 6
- Web City Middle School, Grades 5 and 6
- Noel Junior High, Grades 7 and 8
- South Middle School, Grades 7 and 8
Fall 2022 Championship Winners
Liberal Elementary’s “Flying Owls Duo”, coded by Case and Hudson and coached by Jay Johnson, took home fifth place in the middle school division’s Community Favorite category. Coders won light panels.
Cassville Intermediate’s “The Twisty Twisters”, coded by Reagan, Layla, and Bentley and coached by Michelle Harvey and Jamie Pearman, took home tenth place in the middle school division’s Community Favorite category. Coders won walkie talkies.
“This experience has been absolutely amazing for my students,” stated Jay Johnson, Liberal Middle School Coach. “The growth my students had in not only coding, but the confidence in their ability stood out to me. I am very proud of the accomplishments this season and look forward to next season already!”
“The Youth Coding League has been a great opportunity for Cassville students to learn to code and compete for prizes, said Jamie Pearman, Cassville Intermediate coach. “It has been a learning experience for me as well as the student coders, but it has been incredibly fun to bond with the coders and watch them grow throughout this competitive season. It was very exciting to find out that one of our groups placed 10th in the playoffs! I am proud of how hard our coders worked this season and am thankful for Crowder College for supporting our team!
Stacy Dohogne Lane, Director of Youth Coding League explains, “As STEM dominates the highest-paid careers in the fastest-growing industries, equipping students for this new frontier is a tall ask for schools that are already asked to do so much. We’ve worked to make bringing these future-ready skills to students attainable for schools, and our partnership with Crowder College has enabled us to work with more young coders through their funding of Youth Coding League teams in southern Missouri. We love seeing what students have learned and built this season, and can’t wait to see their skill sets strengthen this spring. Someday those new skill sets will have big impacts on their local communities, and we hope to support these young coders and their school communities for years to come as they develop and apply their knowledge in computer science and coding.”
Spots are available for Spring 2023 teams, which are fully supported by Crowder College. To find out more, please contact stacy@youthcodingleague.com.
About the Youth Coding League:
The Youth Coding League, operated by the Codefi Foundation on Rural Innovation, is a competitive, fully-packaged team sport designed to teach all middle school and junior high students how to code and set them on a path to the highest-paying occupations in the world. The Youth Coding League focuses on access, inclusion, and self-efficacy, and is built for schools and community organizations to introduce 5th-8th graders to computer science and coding.
Reference:
Public Information Office
Crowder College
417.451.3223
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