Apple puts the focus on learning Coding with Scholarships & Software

Aside from all the software updates coming to your Watch, Phone, Tablet, Computer and Apple TV box – there’s something else which for Apple as a company was just as important today at WWDC – Learning Coding.

Tim Cook said today in San Francisco “we believe coding should be a required language in all schools” and they aren’t mucking about on that front.  Of the 5,000 attendees at The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) there are 350 scholarship winners, kids – coders, 120 of them aged under 18.

This is Apple’s way of ensuring they support and grow the future generations of App developers.

Critical to this push for coding as part of education was the launch of a new iPad app called “Swift Playgrounds”.

Swift Playgrounds teaches in a raw code plus live real-time environment the basics of coding, and it’s not just the basics too.  You’re learning the deepest parts of Apple’s Swift programming language through the app as far as you want to dig.

Cook announced that to aid with the push to have Coding in schools, “we’re going to make swift playgrounds free, and we hope that this gift to kids and schools around the world will help make coding a part of the school day” going on to say “because we’re combining basic coding skills with real live code, swift playgrounds can profoundly impact the way kids learn to code”

As a father of three, who sees my 9-year-old boy using websites like Scratch from MIT to learn to code – Swift is just another great tool in that arsenal – the idea of a visual drag and drop style learning will enhance coding skills from almost any age.

Here in San Francisco there are eight young Australians who were recipients of Apple Scholarships to WWDC.  Staggeringly, the youngest is just 9 years old.  NINE.  Anvitha Vijay from Melbourne has a goal to create fun and interactive apps that help people.  She’s already made an app (Smartkins Animals) which introduces kids to over 100 animals and allows them to record and practice their pronunciation.

She’s off to Disneyland after WWDC ends as a reward for her efforts from her Parents!

These kids are the future of app development, and a huge part of Australia’s digital future.

Trevor Long travelled to San Francisco as a guest of Apple Click here for Full details of commercial interests and disclosures

 

Recent Posts

  • Tech

2026 will be the battle of “RGB” in TV technology – what. the. heck. is. that?

If you're still catching up on Quantum Dots, OLED, Mini LED and are thinking that…

10 hours ago
  • Tech

NBN gets set for the final roll out of Fibre upgrades to another 600,000 homes

The NBN is getting ready to lock in the final stage of the Fibre to…

15 hours ago
  • Motoring

The stunning new BMW iX3 is a vision for the future realised as Neue Klasse comes to market

BMW has revealed the first new model to be designed and engineered under their 2025…

18 hours ago
  • Tech

Best in Smart Home – The SwannBuddy 4K Video Doorbell with AI wins at the IFA Innovation Awards

The SwannBuddy4K Video Doorbell with SwannShield™AI Voice Assistant has been given an Honouree accolade for…

1 day ago
  • Tech

360 degree security camera coverage and smart AI capabilities come to Reolink security lineup at IFA 2025

Reolink is a bit of an upstart when it comes to home security but having…

1 day ago
  • Lifestyle

LG unveil its AI plans for your home appliances at IFA 2025

LG has announced its vision for AI-powered living at IFA 2025 under the moniker “LG…

1 day ago