π©βπ»π©π» [CLOSED] Mindjoy | Kid at Heart Build Challenge
Welcome!
We are excited to announce our Kid at π Build Challenge, together with EdTech startup, Mindjoy.
One of the best ways to learn new and hard things like coding is to work on software projects that excite you, and believe it or not, this is true for grown-ups and kids alike.
Project-based learning is a great way to gain knowledge of new technical skills in greater depth and creates an opportunity for you to actively practice coding and keep your skills sharp.
Channel your inner kid and build that awesome project you wish you had as a 13-year-old!
If youβre sold already, you can register to participate here.
A message from Mindjoy founder, Gabi Immelman
Important Dates
What is the Kid at Heart Build Challenge about?
From 2023, Coding and Robotics will form part of the SA school curriculum. Through their engagement with schools, Mindjoy has learnt that educators are, however, unsure about how to introduce coding into their classrooms.
Software developers with deep domain knowledge and experience - thatβs you! - are well positioned to support kids' coding initiatives through building awesome software projects that can be broken down into engaging smaller modular projects for kids.
This challenge is all about building a project that channels your inner kid, contributes to your learning journey and enables kids to have a fun learning experience too.
We've teamed up with Mindjoy because they are all about creating great learning experiences that engage and challenge kids to learn real tech skills in a hands-on way.
You can chat with us in the dedicated Slack channel or email community-investec@offerzen.com with any questions.
Stay updated on the Kid at Heart Build Challenge by joining our Slack channel
FAQs
Who can participate and how do I register?
We have opened this challenge up to the developer community and you are welcome to invite your friends to participate.
You can participate alone or as part of a team and you can be part of multiple teams if you want to.
You can register to participate here.
Do I need to use a specific environment for kids to learn?
Yes, you will need to create your project in Replit. You can create a free account here.
Replit have some really nice and easy-to-read guides to get going quickly.
Replit is a great place for kids (and grown-ups) to learn how to code. They have recently launched Replit Mobile and are on a mission to make coding accessible to kids and adults in Africa.
Do I need to use a specific coding language for my project?
No, you can use any language supported by Replit.
If you are wondering what languages are good for kids, Python π is a great choice because it is easy to read, write and learn. This means that kids donβt need to go through strenuous learning before the fun begins. The syntax is also simple and it can be used to build complex programs.
Woah I donβt know anything about teaching kids to code. Do I need to create a step-by-step lesson for kids?
You just need to build the project and document it. Mindjoy's superpower is taking awesome projects and breaking them into modules that kids of various experience levels can follow to create the project for themselves.
Are there any project ideas that I can use to build against?
Absolutely, weβve got you covered. You can take a look at the project ideas here.
Of course, you arenβt limited to building projects based on these ideas.
What must my submission include and where do I submit it?
The closing date for your final solution is Monday 28 November, 23:59 SAST.
You can submit your builds here.
Each submission must include:
Your solution must:
Use Replit for building and storing your code.
Where can I find help?
If you need help/advice while building, or want to find others to join you, ask participating teams and the community in the Slack channel.
Our Community Champ, Devin Pearson, will also be available to guide you. There are two ways you can reach out to Devin for support:
What are the important dates I should know about?
What are the prizes?
OfferZen hoodies are up for grabs for participants!
What happens after I submit my build?
We will be hosting an online event where teams will be asked to demo their projects to the community so that everyone can learn from each otherβs build experiences.
We will contact you when you submit your projects with the details.
We may also reach out to you about publishing your solution on the OfferZen Blog to showcase it to the developer community.
How do I open-source my build?
In the spirit of the community, you are required to open-source your code under the MIT License. To do so, you need to copy the text below into your documentation and include source files as applicable.
By submitting, you grant OfferZen & Mindjoy permission to use screenshots, code-snippets and links to your project or content of your submission on our Twitter, blog, website, email updates, and in OfferZen slack channels.
Rules
Disqualification
You may be disqualified and forfeit any prizes you may be eligible to receive if OfferZen or Mindjoy reasonably believes that you have not complied with or attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Kid at Heart Build Challenge.
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