Sprockets Computer Coding Expands to Mt. Carmel School
Cowerks STEM-based afterschool course offered to ages 7 to 13
What began last year at Hope Academy Charter School has spread to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Sprockets – the computer coding class designed to educate students ages 7 to 13, launches Wednesday at the First Avenue Catholic School in Asbury Park.
“Everyone should have at least some exposure to the language of code,” co-founder Bret Morgan said in a written statement on the website. “It’s part of being a well-rounded individual. Just as you might learn a foreign language or read the classics, you will find computer programming helps in all sorts of job fields.”
According to the website:
67 percent of software jobs are not technically classified within the field of technology.
By 2020, there will be 1 million more engineering and computer programming jobs than students graduating with high technology degrees.
Fewer women and minorities choosing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
College level computer science enrollment is down from 10 years ago.
Sprockets launched in 2015 via a partnership with Lakehouse Music Academy. The after school program began at Hope Academy Charter School on Grand Avenue and went on to offer Sprockets Summer Camp administered by Brittany Jacobs, 9-year computer programming veteran.
“Students were begging their parents to stay longer at the end of each day of camp instead of rushing out the door,” Jacobs said in a written news statement. “It was a real pleasure to see students so excited to learn. The best part was the camaraderie that was formed as students praised each other’s work and helped each other work through problems. They became real teammates. I’m really excited to see those relationships build between the students at Mt. Carmel.”
The afterschool coding classes will run for 8 weeks, with 4th to 8th grade students broken down by age group, organizers said. Students will create and complete projects, integrating what they have learned for a final presentation.
For more information, visit www.learnwithsprockets.com or e-mail team@learnwithsprockets.com.
[Photos courtesy of Sprockets organizers]
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