The Langdon Community Association is sponsoring a course this fall that teaches 12-to-17-year olds the ins and outs of computers, as well as basic coding and programming skills.
The course will include 10 two-hour long sessions that begin on Oct. 3, with a cost of $300. Students enrolled in the course are provided the required equipment, and are able to keep the Rasberry Pi 400 kit that they work on throughout the sessions at the end of the course. All surplus funds will be donated back to the community association.
Kevin Fisk, a Langdon resident who has volunteered his time to run the course, has a computer technical diploma from Camosun College in Victoria, B.C., and has been in the tech industry for 25 years. He currently works as a senior technical support engineer in the oil and gas industry.
“I have what I call my work side of technology and then I have a hobby side,” he said. “This is kind of that hobby side coming forward in me, which is tinkering with technology. With kids, I thought I’d share a pay-it-forward logic and show what I have [to offer].”
He said that he has had an interest in computers since he was a teenager, and what began as a passionate hobby eventually turned into a career.
An active member in the volunteering community, Fisk said he has done demonstrations and lessons with a local Scouts group, theatre group, schools, and the Synergy Youth and Community Development Society.
He said he decided to introduce tech knowledge courses in Langdon so that interested individuals wouldn’t have to travel to the city to learn those skills.
“It’s important to [give] access to rural communities and rural kids to stuff that isn’t accessible in [our area],” he said.
Fisk added the upcoming course is designed to be useful for both beginner and intermediate computer users, and will range from basic internet and device technology, to programming concepts and foundational coding skills.
According to Fisk, the Rasberry Pi 400 kits the students will be working on are a common device used in oil and gas controllers and other industries.
“They’re actually using these devices to run factories,” he said. “So, these kids will learn about a system or environment that can take them right through to their adult careers.”
Fisk wants to emphasize the role the Langdon Community Association has played in launching this course, allowing him to use the association’s field house to host the course.
“I couldn’t have done it without them,” he said. “The community association stepped up nicely for this one.”
The course will be held on Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Langdon Field House. As of press time, there were still openings to be filled. Interested individuals can contact [email protected] for more information or to register.
Registration closes on Sept. 26 or when all spots are filled.
