Computer-coding camps, programs offered

The Nashville Technology Council has partnered with the Tennessee Code Academy and RePublic Schools on two initiatives to create local computer-programming camps and after-school programs.

The goal is to increase opportunities for students in the thriving tech sector and to develop a larger software-oriented workforce. More than 1,400 tech-related jobs are available in the region, according to the council.

"It is never too early to get kids excited about technology's infinite creative potential," Bryan Huddleston, CEO of the Nashville Technology Council, said in a statement. "Programs and partnerships make it possible to provide resources, opportunities and connections to students."

The Tennessee Code Academy initiative aligns with a Labor Education Alignment Program grant awarded to the tech council by Gov. Bill Haslam last year. It will include 10 camps this year in Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson counties in which students will learn web, app and video game development basics.

"Our programs are designed to spark interest in one of today's most burgeoning career fields," said Sammy Lowdermilk, programs director for the Tennessee Code Academy. "Programmers are in high demand across all industry sectors and we must prepare our students to succeed in today's digital workforce."

The RePublic Schools program consists of a summer coding camp for high school students and a second one for middle school students. The middle school program will focus on coding and robotics, while the high school program will be an introductory course for students interested in Advanced Placement Computer Science.

The two camps will include opportunities to work with tech leaders in the area.

"While the opportunities computer science open up professionally are important, it's also critical that kids growing up have a mental model for how the world around them works," said Ryan York, RePublic Schools computer programming director. "Cars, phones, military tools, agricultural systems, they all rely on software. The people that learn the language of those technologies will be the ones to set the direction and pace of the future."

In 2014, 251 students in Tennessee took the AP Computer Science exam, according to the council. Less than 10 percent of the students were African American and 4.3 percent were Hispanic, underscoring the need for more training opportunities at the secondary school level.

Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.

The Tennessee Code Academy will release its schedule in May 2015.

The Nashville Technology Council is seeking companies interested in partnering on the summer coding camps. To learn more, visit www.technologycouncil.com.

RePublic's Nashville Code Camps for middle school students are offered June 8-25 and July 6-23. The high school camp is June 8-July 16.

The sessions will be held at Nashville Academy of Computer Science, 3230 Brick Church Pike

To sign up, call (615) 873-1284 or visit bit.ly/code-camp.