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Add to Preferred SourcesThe African Development Bank has signed a grant agreement with the Ministry of ICT and Innovation in Rwanda to support the Rwanda Coding Academy, set up to develop top technology talent to drive a booming, innovation-driven digital economy in the East African nation.
The Rwanda Coding Academy was set up as a proof-of-concept model school for developing ICT and other 21st century skills for high school level students who want to pursue a career in coding and computer science. The Academy selects high performing students and trains them in advanced software programing and cybersecurity skills to facilitate their emergence as world-class programmers.
“This collaboration between the Bank and the Government of Rwanda aims to demonstrate that empowering African youth with demand-driven skills and providing them with opportunities to be part of the ICT ecosystem as early as possible, will enable them to claim their space in the digital sector and be equal drivers of innovative ideas that are shaping the present and the future of Africa and the globe,” said Nnenna Nwabufo, Acting Director-General for the African Development Bank’s Eastern Region.
The grant funding of $150,000, from the Rockefeller Trust Fund which the Bank administers, will be directed to the implementation of activities, including acquisition of computers and furniture equipment for an ultra-modern innovation center of excellence, internet connectivity, teacher training, and organization of job career orientation events.
The Academy’s learning approach aims to strengthen the school-to-work transition by focusing on competency-based learning and providing technical skills as well as soft skills, such as agile learning, critical thinking and self-leadership.
The grant will also be used to finance on-job training for teachers and equipping the school with the necessary tools to facilitate the learning experience of students.
Original source: AfDB