Ordnance Survey Innovation team supports young programmers in annual Festival of Code
Young people from across the Solent area, with a keen eye for coding are being urged to sign up to a national coding competition this summer between 28 July and 3 August.
Ordnance Survey has teamed up with The Cathedral Innovation Centre and Totton College to bring Young Rewired State’s Festival of Code to the Solent region. Under 19s will be presented with real world problems, which they will be challenged to address through their self-taught hacking skills. The lucky participants from the area will also get the chance to have tea at the House of Lords and the option of free office space, and the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of Ordnance Survey’s head office.
The annual Festival of Code is organised by Young Rewired State, a not-for-profit organisation, whose aim it is to find and foster every young person with a love of coding and a determination to teach themselves technological skills. They will be supported locally by Ordnance Survey’s Innovation team, who will help them to create websites, prototypes, and apps, demonstrating that innovation and technology broadens horizons.
Totton College is one of over 50 regional centres from all over the UK that will host free, four-day sessions for young programmers in its state-of-the-art facilities. After a week of exploration and creativity in various computer languages, the attendees will get the opportunity to present their idea at a grand finale in Plymouth at the end of the week.
Clare Acklam, Lead for The Cathedral Innovation Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Totton College and Ordnance Survey to bring the Festival of Code to the Solent region for the first time. This is a fantastic free event, and an invaluable one in giving the next generation a voice and helping to harness their skills for the future.”
Ian Holt, Developer Programme Manager at Ordnance Survey, said: “I am looking forward to seeing the range of innovative ideas which develop during the week, especially those which include mapping and location data. This really is a great opportunity for teenagers to showcase their coding skills and I would urge anyone interested to register straight away.”
All information on the Festival of Code, including frequently asked questions for parents and information on how to sign up, can be found at http://festivalofco.de
Notes to editors:
- Ordnance Survey is Great Britain’s national mapping agency, providing the most accurate and up-to-date geographic data, relied on by government, business and individuals.
- About Cathedral Innovation Centre – The Cathedral Innovation Centre is a Southampton based venture focused on supporting enterprise, innovation and thought leadership to rebuild the Solent region’s reputation as a social innovation zone, as well as an economic one. It works with over a thousand young people and start-ups each year. For further information visit: www.cathedralinnovationcentre.com
- About Totton College – Totton College offers educational courses for young people and adults over 16. Also provide excellent links with local businesses, apprenticeships, specialist training and courses for businesses. Please contact: Esta Mion, Marketing and Communications Manager, on 023 8087 4874, ext 770 for media information. For more information about the college visit: www.totton.ac.uk or follow us on www.Facebook/Totton College, Twitter @Totton College or LinkedIn.
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Head of Corporate Communications