Let’s SCRATCH !
SCRATCH CELEBRATES 10 years this month with over 500 activities globally. Jamaica hosted its first Scratch Day on Friday, May 12, at the UWI regional headquarters from 10 a.m. to 4p.m..
Over 300 students between the ages 5 and 18 years old, with 31 teachers representing over 19 schools engaged in various Scratch activities that allowed them to share, meet and learn. No computer coding experience was needed for any of the online and offline activities, as the Hall of Learning team was ready and quick to assist teachers and children .
Students were excited to play, share, learn and experiment with their peers from all over the island in hourly sessions. Teachers and parents also received the opportunity to see what Scratch was about.
The Seprod Foundation hosted over 11 Scratch Teacher Training sessions with 130 teachers, impacting
13,000 students within early-childhood, primary, high and tertiary schools across Jamaica.
The Seprod Foundation believes that coding is the new literacy and as such, plans to continue activities in the STEM areas for students and teachers. Melanie Subratie , chairperson for Seprod Foundation, proudly commented that Scratch Day was very well attended for its very first year in Jamaica. “We hope to continue to bring innovative and high-quality programmes to Jamaican children and we are committed to supporting Jamaican teachers wherever we can. Our plans are to do something with mathematics next, using a similar model.” Schools that attended Scratch Day on May 12:
Calabar Infant, Primary and Junior High School Glowell Preparatory School Pimento Hall International St Michael’s Primary School Hope SDA Basic School Allman Town Primary Hillel Academy Calabar High Excelsior Primary North Street Primary School Alvernia Prep Jessie Ripoll Primary Meadowbrook Prep Reach Academy Creative Kids Learning Academy St Michael’s Infant Christ Temple Basic School Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf
Jamaica Association for the Deaf