Google CS First Phase 4 to be Launched in collaboration with the Sindh Information, Science & Technology Department.
Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) After the successful implementation of Google CS First in selected cities, Sindh Information, Science & Technology Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tech Valley Pakistan, a local country partner of Google for Education, to launch CS First Phase 4, with the support of Google and Ministry of IT & Telecom, in Pakistan’s one of the biggest metropolitan cities, Karachi now.
The past three phases of Google CS First were conducted throughout Pakistan in cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Mainwali, Quetta, and trained more than 130 trainers and 600 students on early-age coding.
CS First, a program of Google, empowers teachers to teach computer science to kids between 9 to 14 years with easy-to-use tools and resources. Through this program, students learn through instructors, video tutorials, and block-based coding in Scratch, which helps in enhancing their creative and analytical skills.
Mr. Asif Ikram, Secretary, Information and Science Department, Sindh, while signing the MOU, said, “This partnership would take our mission of making a difference in the lives of citizens through digital interventions. We need such capacity-building programs so that when our kids reach the advanced level, they have sufficient background knowledge and necessary skills such as coding.”
Under Phase 4, Google for Education’s Partner in Pakistan, Tech Valley, will collaborate with the Sindh Information, Science & Technology Department to organize training sessions in different government schools in Sindh and equip kids with basic coding knowledge.
Tech Valley, the local country partner for Google for Education, has localized the global CS First curriculum to suit the Pakistani context and has developed a detailed implementation plan.
CEO Tech Valley Umar Farooq said during the ceremony, “Tech Valley is grateful to Google and its team for supporting this excellent initiative in Pakistan. Apart from teaching kids coding through Art, Storytelling, and Game Design, we have also clubbed the Be Internet Awesome Program in these training sessions so that students can be smart, responsible, safe, and aware while surfing the internet.”
Tech Valley Pakistan is a global innovative consulting firm working with various development organizations, INGOs, and private and government organizations. Its mission is to inculcate a culture of technology and entrepreneurship through digital innovations.
