Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS), known to have introduced coding as fourth language, now it adds on yet another unique feather in their cap. They have embarked on a new edition of Mega Hackathon, one of India’s biggest school Hackathon on Village problems and problems in communities surrounding TSWREIS Schools in the state. The Hackathon will be held on 1st February.
The Hackathon involves 5000(five thousand) students from marginalized backgrounds and 60% of them comprised of girls. It will be held simultaneously at 25 locations across Telangana on February 01, 2020.
The locations include: Chilkoor, Ibrahimpatnam, Shamshabad, Mahendra Hills, Narsing, Hayatnagar, Medchal, Saroornagar, RK Puram, Chevella, Choutuppal, Manakondur, Chppadandi, Karimnagar(Alugunoor), Wardhannapet at Madikonda, Warangal West, Thrimalayapalem, Dhanvaigudem, Palvanch, Kondapur, Adilabad, Itikyala, Siddipet, Bhongir and Dharmaram.
India has many problems. Indian Villages have more problems. But, these problems are also opportunities for the young minds to come out with Workable solutions. More problems means more opportunities to come out with solutions. If a lock is a problem, there is always a key with it. So also every problem has a solution.
This is organized under the unique concept named “Mission Code” introduced inTSWREIS. Project Mission Code is an initiative to encourage both boys and girls learn software coding and leverage technology for problem solving. Thus students learn both learn to leverage technologies to solve day to problems and they will also develop analytical skills.
TSWREIS is found to Cater to Educational Needs of Marginalised Children. It teaches students differently.
The students of the TSWRIES schools are on a MISSION to DEVELOP VILLAGES, inspired and motivated by their Visionary Secretary Dr R. S. Praveen kumar IPS and with the help of their knowledge and new computer programming they have learnt – from the MISSION CODE program through which these schools going kids are helping farmers and villages solve their problems.
Students have already toured surrounding communities and villages close to their respective schools to identify problems. Some of the problem identified include: Improving the means of livelihood; Increasing the Production and productivity; women education; falling kids into abandoned borewells among many other. They are working on these problems and will come with solutions by February 01. On that day, they will go back to the communities and implement the solutions. The Hackathon is all about coming out with Workable Solutions to solve rural problems and problems in Villages and Communities surrounding TSWREIS schools. So that students have practical and hands-on experience.
By teaching these boys and girls to code, we’re preparing them to enter the work force as well as preparing them to lead in future” shares Secure Space Pvt Ltd, which one of the program implementation partner of TSWREIS for Mission Code.
And sixty per cent of Coders who will be participating in the Hackathon will be girls
The Hackathon will be held for 6th to 9th graders who are in the age group of 11 to 14 years.
It will be organized by Secure Space, a city-based Startup engaged in Tech Content Development. It will be organized in association with Sunitha Infovision Ltd, a Hyderabad based 18 year old company in EdTech Space and CST (Centinel Spark Technologies), a company involved in School Technology Training and Implementation.
The overall project has been assigned to these entities by Setwin which a Telangana Government Nodal Agency specializing in training and skill development Amon youth and students .
Society to Train and Educate People’s Participation in Development (STEP) is one of the implementing partners.
The Hackathon will be held from morning to evening. A hackathon, also known as a Codefest, is a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon or build a new software program or find out a solution to a problem using technology.
Hackathons in schools especially in government schools are very rare that kids from marginalized communities are involved.
Programming and computational thinking skills are becoming ever more important in our society and day to a day career path.
TSWREIS which was started with a vision to build an outstanding government educational institution which provides high quality holistic and value based education to the marginalized children on par with the other advantaged children in the world. It has achieved many distinctions and made a real difference to the students from marginalized communities.
Rohit Yadhati and Sreekanth Neelam – Founders of– CST(Centinel Spark Technologies Pvt Ltd) conducted Seminars and trained over 40,000 students. They also mentored students in IoT—Internet of Things; Mobile App and Games Development in some reputed institutions like Oakridge, Glendale Academy, Army Schools, CGR, DPS, Meridian, Indus, Hitech and many such schools.
All the 5000 students at 25 different locations were given training in Coding for 100 hours spread over 75 days. Nearly 120 trainers and experts were drawn from the corporate world.
Because of the changing landscape of things, kids now love to code. Kids, particularly, the Government school kids of TSWREIS schools are going beyond their prescribed curriculum. Digital Technologies have become part of their DNA. They can code in HTML, Java Script and Sensors. At an age of 11 years, these kids are learning to code. They are speaking the such languages, even their parents don’t understand.
Computer programming which was once seen as a skill reserved for geeks and computer nerds is now is regarded as an essential ability for 21st students
