Student coders seek solutions for climate challenge at IGT camp

LOCAL and regional students have been tasked with applying technology to address climate resilience issues in the Caribbean at this year’s annual robotics camp, hosted by International Game Technology (IGT) and the Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI).

The IGT Coding & Robotics Rock! camp started on July 15 and is themed, Climate Action: Think It, Code It, Solve It.

In a release, IGT said the camp includes students from TT, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, St Maarten, and Jamaica.

IGT general manager Dexter Thomas said the organisation was pleased to facilitate the camp for a fourth year.

“IGT remains committed to our global After School Advantage (ASA) programme, providing youth with access to technology while promoting digital learning opportunities in communities where we operate.”

The camp – part of the ASA programme – is offered exclusively to youth between the ages of 12-18 and is served by IGT’s ASA Centres in TT.

IGT said the aim is to reach children who would not otherwise have access to technology training at a certain level.

MGI and education specialist Nalini Ramsawak-Jodha of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, developed the courses designed to introduce students to careers in the computer science industry and to provide a foundation in computer science, including the basics of computing and coding.

Since 2011, IGT and its subsidiaries have opened 39 ASA centres in the English-speaking Caribbean, including 14 in Jamaica; 18 in TT; and two in Antigua.

Caribbean Lottery and IGT have also established one ASA centre each in Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Maarten, St Croix and St Thomas (US Virgin Islands) and Barbados.