• High school students are learning computer coding skills to improve their capabilities in STEM
• CSU has joined The Riverina Anglican College to trial a five week education program that culminates in an inter-school competition.
• Entries for the main event for the inaugural Riverina Inter-School Programming Championship close 8 April.

High school students from The Riverina Anglican College (TRAC) in Wagga Wagga will demonstrate computer programming skills that aim to improve their capabilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, this Friday 22 March.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) AgriTech Incubator (ATI) and the School of Computing and Mathematics have partnered with TRAC, in association with Code Club Australia, to develop a five-week learning resource aimed at improving the coding skills of Year 9 and 10 students of all abilities.

The education program will ready the students for a major school competition to be held on Friday 21 June.

“Programs like the inaugural Riverina Inter-School Programming Championship teach our students important computer coding skills that will allow them to design their own futures,” said Dr Quazi Mamun from the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics.

Isaac Mannion, STEM teacher at TRAC said, “The Riverina Anglican College and Charles Sturt University are keen to engage students, to challenge the students to think creatively and solve problems.

“Coding will be a key skill for future generations,” Mr Mannion said.

The competition aims to:

• Improve programing and STEM skills of students in the Riverina region;
• Connect high schools to CSU and each other;
• Connect computing and STEM teachers in the region to increase future collaboration.

“The AgriTech Incubator is thrilled to be partnering with TRAC to help develop Riverina student’s skills to think differently, innovatively and to solve problems, while supporting STEM related initiatives in local high schools,” said ATI Project Officer, Ms Siobhain Howard.

The main competition event, now open to all Riverina high schools, will be held at CSU in Wagga Wagga on Friday 21 June. Teams of three students can be registered here, with a maximum of two teams per school. Registrations close on 8 April.

For further information on the competition, contact Ms Siobhain Howard on 02 6933 4004 or email sihoward@csu.edu.au

The Riverina Inter-School Programming Championship is funded by CSU and the NSW Government, through the CSU AgriTech Incubator under the Jobs for NSW Local Innovation Network scheme and the Boosting Business Innovation Program.