“Coding Tomorrow” Supports Social Life in the Earthquake-Affected Regions

FOUR CONTAINER CLASSES WERE BUILT IN THE "CODING TOMORROW SUPPORTS SOCIAL LIFE" PROJECT

The number of container technology classes built as part of the “Coding Tomorrow Supports Social Life” project, launched by Vodafone Turkey Foundation in collaboration with the Habitat Association to support the education of children in earthquake-affected cities , has reached four . Music and fairy tale workshops, coding training, and various social activities are organized for children aged 7-14 in the classes set up in Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, and Hatay. Moreover, children receive psychosocial support through play therapy.

As part of the “Coding Tomorrow” project,launched to prepare future generations for the digital world , Vodafone Turkey Foundation and Habitat Association continue to support children affected by the earthquake. Container technology classes were set up in Malatya,Hatay, Adıyaman and Kahramanmaraş, as part of the “Coding Tomorrow Supports Social Life” projectsupport the education of children in the earthquake-affected areas. This increased the number of container technology classes set up under the project to 4. Additionally, a mobile tent school is visiting villages, tent cities, and container cities in 11 cities affected by the disaster. Music and fairy tale workshops, coding training, and various social activities are organized for children aged 7-14 in container classes and the mobile tent school. They also receive psychosocial support through play therapy. The “Hackathon on Technological Solutions to Disasters” to be organized for high school students as part of the project will also provide solutions for disasters through artificial intelligence and other technologies. The project has reached over 23 thousand children so far, and the ultimate goal is to reach 100 thousand children.

Hasan Süel, the Chair of Vodafone Turkey Foundation, stated:

“As Vodafone Turkey Foundation, we continue to support children,the group most affected by earthquakes. With the ‘Coding Tomorrow Supports Social Life’ project, we provide them with the opportunity to receive technology training and socialize in unique spaces where they can feel comfortable and reconnect to life. As part of the project, we set up container technology classrooms in Malatya and Hatay, in addition to the ones in Adıyaman and Kahramanmaraş. We thus reached our target class number. Furthermore, ur mobile tent school is visiting villages, tent cities, and container cities in 11 cities affected by the disaster. In container technology classrooms and the mobile tent school, we organize music and fairy tale workshops, coding training, and various social activities for children aged 7-14. Our education programs have seen positive progress, thanks to the encouraging feedback from residents of the container cities. The fact thatour work touches lives and creates a positive impact is our greatest source of motivation. . As Vodafone Turkey Foundation, we will keep working to support the revitalization of economic and social life in the region.”

Sezai Hazır, the Chair of the Habitat Association,said:

“As Habitat Association, we have been working to mitigate the impact of the earthquake and strengthen social life. As part of the 'Coding Tomorrow Supports Social Life' project that we are carrying out in collaboration with Vodafone Turkey Foundation, we have set up container technology classrooms in Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, and Hatay. In these classrooms, we organize different trainings, workshops, and activities for students of certain age groups. We help students develop their art and crafting skills through art workshops. During music and rhythm workshops, we focus on developing their musical ear and raising awareness about of the importance of teamwork. In our technology workshops, primary and secondary school students are trained in coding and game design, to increase their digital competencies. We provide a suitable environment for high school students to study. In addition to technology classrooms, we build local partnerships through which we expand our training and activities. We also visit other container cities and village schools in the region to reach disadvantaged groups with our mobile tent school. We will continue to reach children in the region and provide psychosocial support with all our energy.”

High interest in special training and activities

As part of the “Coding Tomorrow Supports Social Life” project, special training and activities are organized for children in container technology classrooms and in the mobile tent school, enriched and approved by experts specialized in psychology. These activities and trainings also involve other cities where children affected by the earthquake have been relocated.

Technology workshops, fairytale & story workshops, art workshops, rhythm workshops, and movie hours are scheduled in container classes on certain days of the week. Among these workshops, technology workshops receive the most participation and demand. Technology workshops are arranged on different days so that every child under the age of 18 can participate, and the workshop content includes coding training, Makey Makey, and STEM activities. Apart from the workshops, children from different age groups who have never had access to computers are also offered workshops on computer skills to overcome this drawback and improve their skills. In the container classes, test-solving sessions are also held for high school students and a convenient environment is provided where they can practice.

The mobile tent school is mainly active in Kahramanmaraş, Diyarbakır, Adıyaman, Hatay, Malatya, Malatya, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep. In all the schools visited, children receive Scratch training, and they are trained in Mbot robotic coding. During the training process, children quickly grasp the Scratch program. In the last hour, they build a project with what they have learned during the lesson. After the Scratch training is completed in the mobile tent school, children also participate in different social activities.

We reached more than 300 thousand children

With the “Coding Tomorrow” project, children between the ages of 7 and 14 are given theoretical and practical training on topics such as introduction to programming, algorithm logic, developing applications, creating stories, and designing games under the supervision of volunteer trainers all around Turkey. Reaching more than 300 thousand children in 81 cities to date, the project generated a total social value of TL 14 million last year, while each TL 1 invested in the project has created a social benefit of TL 7.7. “Coding Tomorrow” training is also available free on the online training platform yarinikodlayanlar.com.