ADEC and Google launch coding skills program to over a quarter million students across public and private schools in the Emirate

The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Google are revealing a big scale strategic program to make it possible for more than a quarter million public and independent school students across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to find out computer programs abilities, integrated with training and capability structure for all Abu Dhabi ICT teachers and afterschool coding clubs.

Present at the event today was H.E. Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; H.E. Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili, Chairman of the Health Authority Abu Dhabi and member of the Executive Council who inaugurated the event; H.E Saeed Eid Al Ghafli. Chairman of Department of Municipal Affairs and member of the Executive Council; H.E. Mr. Rashed Laheq Al Mansoori, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Center (ADSIC); H.E. Mr. Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Mohamad Mourad, Regional Director for Google MENA along with important dignitaries from both ADEC and Google.

The Google-created program is called Computer Science (CS) First and targets the youth, typically with no background in coding. The program was initially offered to 30,000 students on September 2015 in grades 4, 5 and 9 across public schools, and will be provided to the remainder of the public and independent school students in other grades within the 2 years.

The intensive course will be embedded in the classroom gearing up students with the fundamentals of "Scratch", a student-friendly shows language that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed. By discovering how to protocol with Scratch, students will find out to think successfully, work collaboratively, and factor systematically.

These abilities add to establishing students and knowledge creators across platforms, a crucial long-lasting development engine broadening Abu Dhabi's internet ecosystem, while constructing a future talent swimming pool to drive Abu Dhabi's innovative advancement.

"ADEC's strategic collaboration with one of the world's leading technology business, Google, belongs to providing one of ADEC's major innovation environment initiatives 'Programming for Life' which coincides with the Council's desire to provide quality education to students in all schools in Abu Dhabi. Both public and independent school students are being offered the opportunity to find out one of the world's newest and crucial innovation abilities-- computer shows. This will not just boost their exploration and imagination skills, but will likewise offer limitless chances to concern, explore and re-explore," stated Dr. Al Khaili.

Mr. Mohamad Mourad, Regional Director for Google MENA: "Coding skills and computer technology are at the extremely core of Google. They are an entrance to development in numerous fields from architecture to zoology, from medication to the music industry. Computer programs has become a realm for creativity and innovative concepts. Our team believe that the UAE youth can be a part of this.".

H.E Excellency Rashid Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General at ADSIC said, "We are very pleased to be part of this impactful instructional effort and a crucial component in its execution in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council, in our capacity as the Government entity responsible for the UAE capital's ICT agenda and e-transformation efforts. ADSIC constantly seeks to enhance its active role in establishing the ability of Emirati youth by providing them with reliable knowledge and discovering chances that would enable them to go into the ICT task market and improve their competitive benefit, based upon world-class education levels and finest practices.".

Al Manssori included, "In current years, ADSIC has actually effectively handled to reach numerous sectors of Abu Dhabi's society through the Centre's thoroughly created protocols such as e-citizen, which intends to decrease the digital divide and spread out a modern e-lifestyle in line with the nature of life in the 21st century, and our team believe that our role in this important instructional program will visibly support these efforts.".
The CS First protocol has actually been offered to countless students throughout the world; nevertheless this is the first time an entire city gets involved in such an effort. This around the world interest shows the significance of offering programming as an academic subject.

Dr. Al Khaili included: "Google's CS First program will empower Abu Dhabi youth to adjust to new thinking and discovering methods, while acquiring vital analysis and reasoning skills. These are important devices to prepare our students for the world of understanding creation.".

In preparing for this protocol, ADEC and Google co-led and delivered a mass capacity-building training protocol for all Abu Dhabi ICT public school teachers in August 2015, training and accrediting them on the CS First protocol. The training produced by Google specialists is a step-change in improving Abu Dhabi's ICT teacher labor force via contemporary computer system programs abilities. The training protocol will be offered to ICT teachers throughout independent schools.

Coding is a vital car for teaching design thinking, an important component for development. The initiative will allow students to learn the best ways to establish apps for mobile platforms-- apps which can serve society in all fields from healthcare to transport. These skills that the students are getting through this program are the kind of abilities that allow an innovation driven knowledge producing society.

Google's MENA Regional Director stated, "Coding is ending up being an essential skill, simply like reading, composing, and mathematics. The upcoming generation of Abu Dhabi youth have actually become digital natives. We wish to equip them with the abilities to end up being the future understanding developers of tomorrow's Internet ecosystem. ".

Previously this year, ADEC and Google piloted the CS First protocol in 3 Abu Dhabi public schools. In a report prepared by Google after the pilot, 85 percent of instructors involved said Google's CS First protocol assisted engage pupils in those 3 schools while 100 percent suggested more students register in the protocol. Both ADEC and Google are acutely aware of the requirement to gear up students with 21st century skills, thus building a future talent swimming pool for Abu Dhabi's ingenious advancement. Over a quarter million students throughout all schools are intended to embark on this program.

"Our students are needed to gain a much deeper understanding of the fundamentals of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), which will not only lead to more interest towards that field, but will help improve the essential skills of reasoning, computational thinking, together with problem resolving skills, which are all advantageous for our youth," said Dr. Al Khaili.

As much as 100,000 Emirati students in public schools and 57,000 Emirati students in private schools will go through the CS First program. "Our youth are expected to participate in competitive and tough tasks in the future, and that requires knowledge and tech-based learning skills. Interactive protocols such as this one are essential to preparing students to enter the modern labor force and play their part in the development of our cherished nation. ADEC will remain to work hand-in-hand with market leaders to provide its students some of the best chances that are out there," concluded Dr. Al Khaili.