It was the start of a new school year last week at Ubisoft Montréal. Thanks to Kids Code Jeunesse, our employees’ kids got the chance to dabble in programming!
Under the supervision of their parents, more than 60 kids ranging from 7 to 12 years of age were given a mini crash course in programming. The parents were able to show their kids what they did at work and share their passion for gaming in an educational way.
“I really enjoyed learning how to make a video game and I’d love to be able to do this in class,” said a 10-year-old participant.
Kate Arthur, Founder of Kids Code Jeunesse, explained that both boys and girls can benefit equally from learning programming—it can be as much about pushing the creative details as testing the finished product. She also stated that programming should be included as an educational tool the same way Mathematics or Arts are. What’s more, she feels that integrating programming into the school curriculum could make it easier for students to learn other subjects, like math or even arts and languages—which is why she developed the workshops.
One of the Ubisoft Montréal employees who participated as a mentor, Brian, expressed how he wished he’d had the chance to attend a workshop like this when he was young. “As a kid, I knew I wanted to make video games, so my father bought me a giant beginner’s guide to learning C++,” recalls Brian. “It was way too much to handle as a kid, and it really discouraged me. What’s cool about this workshop is that it’ll actually inspire kids and make them see school differently.” He was really happy to help in the kid’s education through the mentoring program at Ubisoft.
The kids were all smiles when they received their diploma at the end of the day. Congratulations to our little munchkins!
