Raspberry Pi a piece of cake for whiz kids

A group of excited youngsters gathered for a four-week pilot course in gaming programming on the prototype Raspberry Pi on Saturday. The programme is not only a first to be conducted by Edupark but also a first for Limpopo.
The nine boys and one girl between the ages of 11 and 17 years were seemingly as enthusiastic as the facilitators and initiators of the programme to start the first Saturday session, during which they were introduced to the wonders of the credit-card sized single-board computer developed in the United Kingdom. Their first encounter with the device entailed the assembly of components, imported from China, on their journey to unlocking the world of coding.
According to Edupark Programme Manager Adri Williams they had identified a gap for kids keen to learn gaming programming. The course was the result of more than a year of planning, she added.
In welcoming the participants, Edupark Chief Executive Officer Jo Nel mentioned that the course was a first of its kind for Limpopo. He expressed the desire to see the nation getting ahead and do so quickly. He expressed the belief that the youngsters could share a wealth of ideas and that the facilitators could learn from them, he said. “You are getting going with something really exciting today,” he said with reference to the precursor to a possible advanced course in future.
The programme is being presented by computer programmer Chris Albrecht, who is assisted by Thabo Mashiloane, a network developer.

Story and photo: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com

Featured Photo: And what could be more befitting than raspberry pie to start off the course? Edupark Chief Executive Officer Jo Nel and Edupark Programme Manager Adri Williams set the tone for a first in Limpopo.