Students gain tech experience with coding league

More and more local youth are becoming tech-savvy thanks to an after-school Youth Coding League that introduces computer programming.

Some 250 middle-school students are participating, working through Google's CS First curriculum, which includes themes on music, sound and game design, using the Scratch programming language, according to recent reporting by Marybeth Niederkorn.

The program has fifth- and sixth-grade students from Cape Girardeau Central Middle School, the 32nd Judicial Circuit, Jackson Middle School, Sikeston's 5th and 6th Grade Center, Scott County Central, Scott County R-IV (Kelly) School, Eagle Ridge Christian School, Trinity Lutheran School, Prodigy Leadership Academy and St. Henry School.

At least five more schools will join in the spring.

The participants are involved in team and individual competitions, and they're getting a head start on coding fundamentals.

"It's been an amazing thing I've gotten to see take shape," said Stacy Dohogne Lane, community director for Codefi and the Marquette Tech District Foundation. "The YCL has been the vision of Chris Carnell, one of Codefi's co-founders, and, honestly, it's been a privilege to have a hand in it. The kids are getting so much out of it."

This is a great way to prepare our future generations in technology, by incorporating their gaming interest and turning it into a learning device will set many students ahead on their path to making a big difference in the future.

We're happy to see that this kind of program is happening, and look forward to see how it grows in the coming years.