Computer science for the next generation: 2nd CITY Hacker School in Karlsruhe

At the CITY Hacker School Karlsruhe, pupils receive playful instructions on how to use beginner-friendly programming languages in compact courses, giving them an introduction to the world of computer science. The second edition of the city-wide CITY Hacker School in Karlsruhe will take place on March 21 and 22 at various decentralized locations.

The focus is on enabling children and young people to have fun taking their first steps in the world of computer science. Age-appropriate offers are used for this purpose: Calliope mini is a computer designed for primary school children, Scratch is a visual programming language for children and young people. Courses for up to twelve participants are offered at ZKM I Zentrum Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe as well as at the IT companies dmTECH, Gameforge, Etecture, Comline, esentri, Asseco Solutions, AirVisionair, unterstandAI and LogMeIN.

Take part: Companies for second edition in Karlsruhe in March

“Companies can only benefit from working with children and young people. On the one hand, it’s a great image campaign, and on the other, contacts can be made with the skilled workers of tomorrow,” says project manager Julia Freudenberg from the Hamburg-based association I3 e.V. (Initiative Informatik Inspiration), which has been organizing workshops for young hackers in companies and schools since 2014. In Karlsruhe and the surrounding area, the city-wide hacker seminars are supported by the karlsruhe.digital initiative, the CyberForum business network, Technologiefabrik, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the City of Karlsruhe’s business development department.

Interested companies from the digital economy can apply for a collaboration at info@hacker-school.de. There will also be a meetup in Karlsruhe on February 26, where companies can find out more about the event and how to take part (for more information and to register for the meetup, email christina.sommerfeld@hacker-school.de).

After last year’s premiere with around 100 participants, Freudenberg is now hoping for significantly higher registration numbers. The date has been brought forward from July to March, explains Freudenberg: “There are too many competing events and compulsory dates for pupils in the summer. We didn’t initially have that on our radar when we were planning.” In addition, the second edition of the Karlsruhe CITY Hacker School was advertised immediately after its premiere. According to Freudenberg, there is definitely a need for such an offer. The many positive reactions from the young participants and their parents have clearly shown this. The CITY Hacker School focuses on a playful approach to computer science. Designing websites is just as much a part of the program as playing freely with Minecraft or constructing with Lego Mindstorms.

Karlsruhe is the ideal location for city-wide programming courses

“People have realized that the concept of lifelong learning is also becoming more and more prevalent in technical subjects,” says Freudenberg. However, the topics of digitalization and computer science are still being neglected in many schools. This is why children and young people need to be brought together with experts from the field. In this way, experts could inspire the next generation to work in an IT company. The CITY Hacker School provides the platform for this practice-oriented exchange.

In Freudenberg’s opinion, Karlsruhe is the ideal location for a city-wide hacker school. “The city is in a very privileged position when it comes to IT promotion,” says the i3 Managing Director, referring to the numerous companies from the information technology sector and the CyberForum and karlsruhe.digital networks that have emerged from them. This is why Karlsruhe is currently home to the only city-wide CITY Hacker School, while other cities only offer courses from individual companies.