Curiosity was firmly affixed on the faces of the young boys and girls from Seaward Primary School and Drews Avenue Primary School as they delved into the world of coding and artificial intelligence (AI) at the 2024 ‘Hour of Code’ initiative. 

This year’s event encouraged students to unleash their creativity by programming their very own digital dance routines using AI. 

Hosted by General Accident Jamaica, in collaboration with the Seprod Foundation and Halls of Learning, the hands-on event combined fun and education, fostering problem-solving skills, teamwork, and innovation under the theme, ‘Making the invisible visible‘.

While emphasising the importance of introducing and equipping students with practical technological skills for the future, Omar Christie, applications support analyst at GenAc shared, “General Accident believes in investing in the next generation by providing students with tools to navigate an increasingly digital world. For us, supporting worthwhile tech-focused initiatives like The Hour of Code allows us that platform to encourage these young boys and girls to embrace the wonderful potential of technology while having fun and learning critical skills like coding. We are proud to partner with the Seprod Foundation and Halls of Learning to continue this meaningful initiative.”

“With the advent of AI and its rapid evolvement, it is critical for students, especially those from inner city areas, to understand how technology impacts the world around them and where they see themselves in that realm. The Hour of Code and the resulting support from General Accident and its partners is an invaluable opportunity that will continue to bridge this gap. There is so much talent here in our schools and it starts from interest at the Basic and Primary school levels. In fact, I have already identified students at the grade six level who possess a natural knack for IT and these kinds of technical skills; all they need is steady guidance and programmes such as these to really let their brilliance shine,” explained Dwayne Forbes, principal of Drews Avenue Primary. 

The ‘Hour of Code’ is a global movement introducing tens of millions of students worldwide to computer science. The local initiative saw 25 students from Grades three and four from Seaward Primary and 40 students from Grades four to six from Drews Avenue Primary School excited to learn about technology.

Having started as a one-hour coding challenge, The ‘Hour of Code’ is now an annual learning event that takes place during Computer Science Education Week (December 9-15).