On behalf of Kamehameha Schools and Oceanit, we would like to invite you to an executive briefing for a new coding system for non-coders called "Altino" to bring coding to every student in Hawaii.

NEW: We will video conference for the neighbor islands starting at 9am if you request it. Please give your computer 10 minutes to configure itself: Join Skype Meeting Why Programming Matters video

The Opportunity - why you're invited

"...only 1 in 4 schools surveyed in a 2014 Gallup poll commissioned by Google teach coding. At the same time, 9 in 10 parents surveyed want their kids to have the opportunity to learn coding and advanced computer skills, and feel it should be part of the curriculum. Yet less than half of the 11,558 superintendents and principals surveyed felt that their boards supported more computer science resources. And many “do not perceive a high level of demand for computer science among students and parents in their communities.

Meanwhile, countries like Finland, France, the United Kingdom and Estonia have either begun planning elementary school-level coding classes or have already integrated them into the curriculum, leaving the U.S. educational system behind in equipping future workers for what is already a burgeoning industry." Source: 8-Year-Old Girl Creates a Startup to Teach Kids to Code

From the cited Gallup study "among key and contrasting findings: while 90% of parents see computer science, or CS, as "a good use of school resources" (and 67% say CS should be required learning alongside other core classes), fewer than 8% of administrators believe parent demand is high. Three quarters of principals report no CS programs in their school. They also cite a lack of trained teachers as a top barrier to offering CS courses." Source: Google commissioned 2015 Gallup study of 15,000 people from students to superintendents,

Similarly, in Hawaii, we have noticed a growing popularity of coding clubs, bootcamps, and trainings but access is limited in schools because most teachers are not trained as coders.

Part of the Solution: The Altino System is a fun way to teach and learn core programming languages like C, Visual C++, Java, Android, Scratch, and other languages step by step in 4 months. To bring coding lessons to life, students wireless send snippets of code for testing to a sophisticated sensor laden robotic car. However, this is not a robotics teaching system but rather a coding system. After 4 months, you've programmed an autonomous driving car, by applying your new coding skills to hardware. The system is ideal for teachers, to learn coding so they can teach it and adapt it for their students.

We think the Altino system can help non-coders like teachers, tutors, after-school mentors, counselors, and parents to teach and spread coding throughout Hawaii’s educational system. So please join us at Kamehameha School's Hālau ʻĪnana innovation space in Honolulu, located after the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. The briefing is limited to 30 people because you will have the opportunity to do a bit/byte of coding!

We look forward to seeing you! Mahalo,

Lauren Nahme, Kamehameha Schools

Ian Kitajima, Oceanit Research Foundation

p.s. there are multiple dates/months to choose from. You do not need to attend multiple briefings. 8*)

We will gather from 8:30am, start promptly at 9am and end by 10:30am

Watch this Hawaii News Now piece about teaching coding to teachers. July 2017