14th May, Delhi: Did you know that Rafael Nadal won his first tennis championship when he was 8 years old? In fact, Viswanathan Anand first started playing chess when he was just 6! Most prominent athletes and performers credit their success to early exposure to sports and hobbies. Just like tennis and chess, programming can also be an exciting sport for young students to try their hand at this summer, all thanks to CodeChef’s Summer Camp in collaboration with IIIT Delhi.
This 2-week Programming camp will feature students of IIIT Delhi acting as trainers for the workshop, whose job will be to introduce programming to school students. Computer science isn’t just a subject for engineering students; kids of all ages can get an early start in the world of computer programming, provided they are given the right instruction. These trainers use activities and puzzles to introduce students to programming topics. They aim to create a playful environment where growth and learning are facilitated through interactive games and group work.
Interested students can enroll in one of two available batches. Batch 1 will take place from 20th May to 1st June and batch 2 will begin on the 27th of May and end on 8th June. It is recommended to students who enjoy puzzles and logical problems as well as those who show an aptitude for maths.
Similar to other mind sports like Chess and Sudoku, computer programming challenges students to learn problem-solving skills through the medium of interesting activities. CodeChef’s workshop trainers are trained to create a low-pressure environment where enjoyment, interest, and curiosity are encouraged just as much as learning. Trainers do not rush through the topics, but they address questions, clarify doubts and provide individual attention whenever possible. In the first half of the camp, the focus will be on learning computational thinking through puzzles and activities. In the second half of the camp, students will also be taught how to program using the Python programming language.
This day camp will take place from 10 am to 4 pm at IIIT Delhi. Students in class 7 or higher are eligible to participate. The camp has a nominal fee of Rs. 2360; however, promising young students who show passion and enthusiasm for programming will be provided fee waivers on a need basis.
Students can expect to walk away with the following skills and abilities:
● Give algorithmic instructions to the computer to solve problems.
● Learn to build the logic and write code in Python using basic programming constructs.
● Debugging skills
● Solve beginner-level problems on CodeChef.
● Participate in programming competitions online and in school fests.
● Participate in the International Olympiad in Informatics, also known as the Olympics of Programming
