Discovery event gets Mangere kids thinking digital

  • Breaking
  • 11/04/2015

If the future is digital, then the people of Mangere are a bit more prepared this evening.

A variety of digital workshops and displays were on offer today, giving the next generation the chance to learn how to use cutting-edge technologies.

It was a great excuse for kids to put down the books and pick up their digital devices at Mangere Library today – from stop motion to coding, touch screens and even robots.

South Auckland locals were invited to come and play with all sorts of technology, but there was a serious message behind the fun.

"We think technology is the great equaliser," says organiser Judy Speight. "It's the opportunity for social equity and opportunity for anybody to have a great job, so if we can introduce little kids to technology from the beginning, they'll be highly successful in their education and have an idea about where the jobs are, and then they'll go on and have great lives. That's what the opportunity is."

More than 2000 people explored, played and created today. That's exactly what those in the industry want to see more of.

"They don't see their parents as computer scientists or robotic engineers, and you see them play with that stuff and they actually believe it," says OMG Tech! technologist Rab Health.

Andrew Dixon from OMG Tech! says the digital landscape is changing and so are the people working in the industry.

"It's also so good to see not just the boys taking it on," says Mr Dixon. "There's a good gender mix. In fact we're finding a lot more girls than boys are taking into this."

Next week the workshops continue with Geek Camp for year seven and eight students.

They may not realise it yet, but making sharks on computers could very well be the beginning of a bright digital future.

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source: newshub archive