Digital Skills Holiday Bootcamp 2022

How do we prepare our children for the uncertain future?

Studies show that early investments in children’s learning and education generate significant economic returns. In addition, according to Catalysing Education, investing in the development of holistic skills in primary and secondary education will be critical in addressing the root causes of the global skills gap, preparing the next generation of talent to engage in lifelong learning, and ensuring that future efforts in reskilling and upskilling pay off for individuals, businesses and governments.

For us at the Innovative Child Network, skill-based learning for children is as important as going to school because it enables children to gain real-life skills and helps them increase self-confidence while working in a team.

On the 15th of August, 2022, we embarked on a 2-week Digital skill Holiday Bootcamp for 6 amazing Children in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in partnership with Wadi-Ben Hirki Foundation ( who offered a scholarship to three (3) children to attend the training) and Be Exceptional Network. Over 2 weeks, the courses covered were; Public Speaking, Design Thinking, Animation, and Scratch Programming. And to help spice up the experience for the children, there were also Storytelling and Chess games.

Our facilitators were; Ms. Blessing Akpan who taught Scratch Programming and Design Thinking, Mr. Joseph Effiong who took the kids on a learning experience with Animation, Public Speaking, and Storytelling then Mr. Iniodu who wrapped it all up with the Chess game which the kids enjoyed so much.

Visible improvements at the end of the training:

95% were able to figure out their passion and they came up with career choices they would love to pursue.
80% of the children could not handle the computer properly when they began but after the training, they achieved competency.
The training impacted positively the children’s self-confidence as they were given the chance to be original, creative, and own their voices. The shy ones were able to step up and express themselves.
They concluded the training carrying along a great spirit of collaboration and empathy.
100% deeply understood the best ways of solving problems following the design thinking process.
Ultimately, they were inspired to embrace their dreams and be determined to bring them to life through consistency, focus, and hard work.

Appreciation:

Our deep appreciation to God Almighty for his Grace throughout the training and then to our facilitators for making it a worthwhile 2 weeks. We appreciate our Partner; the Wadi-Ben Hirki foundation for sponsoring 3 amazing children ( 2 girls and 1 boy) to be part of the transformational experience. Thank you for giving those children a reason to believe in their abilities.

Next steps;

For the remaining days left in the holidays, we will continue to check in on them and ensure they keep learning. We are also onboarding them on our Learn with Coursera Program where we give access to courses online for them to further develop their skills.

Media Views:

This is our picture views from the training.