Back in the 1990s who would have thought that technology would have come so far? Even after the dot com bubble and Y2K so much has changed and evolved in the information technology industry. This inevitably begs the question “what is the future of IT?”

Children today are interacting with technology in ways we’ve never seen before. Kids as young as 2 years old are actively engaging with tablets and phones to watch movies or play games. Education itself is on a track to become digitized in the long term and this has opened the doors to code camps and other technology programs for kids.

A number of code camps are popping up all over the world to provide kids as young as 8 a chance to learn the same complex coding techniques used by today’s top technology businesses. And coding doesn’t just help kids with a future career in IT. Some experts are calling coding the new literacy and by learning these commands and languages it can help kids develop better long term problem solving and critical thinking skills.

If you’ve got kids you may want to think about encouraging them to pursue coding and programming from a young age, especially if you are part of the technology industry. This will give them a chance to see what mom and dad do for a living and they could possibly teach you a thing or two as they learn new languages and techniques.

Here are a few code camps:

• Cato’s Hike. Younger kids may like this adventure story that teaches logic games and basic programming in an easy to follow manner.
• Scratch. For little kids with a fierce creative streak Scratch teaches them to make their own animations, games, and art. It also helps them build skills in collaboration which will be essential to their future success.
• Lightbot. This platform for older kids is available in many languages so it can be used by children all over the world. The key here is that programming is the common language that everyone can learn to understand. This is great for kids who like puzzles and challenges.
• Codecademy. This free online education tool is perfect for teenagers who may be interested in pursuing information technology as they continue on to college. Having a head start in programming languages and puzzles will help boost their education and eventually their career.

Do you want to know more about free online tools for coding and programming or are you looking for a job in IT? Contact one of VincentBenjamin’s IT recruiters to learn how to elevate your IT career. We have locations in Phoenix, Denver, Orange County and Los Angeles. 

Image by Lars Plougmann via Flickr