The next generation of coders have been tasked with stamping out cyberbullying, as the Queensland Premier’s coding challenge gets underway.
The Premier’s Creating Queensland’s Future coding challenge was created by the Queensland government as part of its Advancing education action plan in 2015.
The challenge this year is for students to come up with innovative and creative solutions to stand up to cyberbullying.
Launching the competition was Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“We want to see students from Years 3 to 10 creating digital heroes to teach others how to handle online bullies and be safe and secure online,” she said.
“We want to support all Queensland schools and students to engage in coding and be digitally literate, and I know that there’s a new generation out there who can combine imagination and digital expertise to create brilliant results.”
Students must create a game, animation, app or likewise using Anti-Bully Girl – a character developed by the Queensland government as part of the Cybersafety heroes initiative.
The digital solution must demonstrate standing up to cyberbullies.
Open state-wide, students may enter individually or in a team into one of the four different age-based groups.
State Education Minister, Grace Grace, said the initiative would help young students prepare for future careers in technology.
“The Creating Queensland’s Future coding competition was about fostering a new generation of digital creators and entrepreneurs,” Grace said.
“The competition helps schools to engage students in learning that gives them the skills and knowledge to participate successfully in a technology rich, global economy.
“This coding competition is just one initiative in our Advancing education action plan, which addresses the importance of equipping our students with the skills they’ll need for jobs of the future.”
Winners of the challenge will be announced 21 August at the i-Education 2018 conference, with $5,000 worth of technology prizes up for grabs.
