Pro:Atria is delighted to be a sponsor of the DVLA Code Challenge 2018 for School Children.
DVLA runs the competition to provide Schools, Code Clubs and Community groups in Wales with IT equipment and promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects aimed at children aged 7-14.
DVLA work with a number of Volunteer Organisations and Charities such as STEM Learning and Code Club (part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation Charity) to help teach children aged 7-14 Information Technology subjects in Primary Schools. This initiative is focused on a competition is to get children involved with coding games while providing an incentive and opportunity for the Schools and Clubs to win IT equipment and to promote the work of the volunteers and Charity organisations that actively engage with and support the schools to run these clubs.
The children choose from a number of themes provided by the associates and write a game to enter. Prizes are awarded to the teams reaching the final and every school or group that enters the competition or attends the event, either at the venue or via a live link is entered into a prize draw. The prize draw element encourages greater participation in schools so that we can reach as many schools and groups as possible - there are about 2200 in Wales.
In 2017 the project was able to place IT Equipment in over 50 Schools and groups in Wales and get hundreds of children aged 7 – 11 involved in coding.
In 2018 the event was even more successful with over 60 Primary and Secondary Schools across Wales winning prizes in the DVLA Code Challenge Competition.
Mark Jones, Head of Cyber Security Testing at DVLA said:
"All the entries we had this year were of a very high quality which shows just how much talent is out there, we just need to provide opportunities for the children to use it. This year we had 258 Entries from Primary Schools and 58 entries from Comprehensive Schools."
He went on to say:
"250 children aged 7 – 14 and teachers attended the event in the Richard Ley Development centre and a further 170 individuals from had stands and exhibits outside the venue. We could have filled the venue more than twice with the requests for tickets. We ran a Live Link and between 3000 and 4000 people watched the event stream with over 2500 votes cast for the winning entries."
This year there were 8 finalists and 1 special prize Finalists prizes in 7 – 11 category and 11 – 14 category.
The winners were:
7 – 11 Age Group
1st Prize - £2000 - BlaenBaglan Primary
2nd Prize - £1500 - Usk CiW Primary School
3rd Prize - £1000 - Gwyrosydd Primary School
Runner Up - £750 - Cadle Primary School
11 - 14 Age Group
1st Prize - £2000 - Cathedral School
2nd Prize - £1500 - Caerleon Comprehensive School
3rd Prize - £1000 - Dyffryn Conwy
Runner Up - £750 - Cyfarthfa High School
Special Prize Pontlliw Primary School
Beach Ball Bingo Winners 23 Schools won Lego Boost Educational Kits, Sparx Spheros and OhBot robotic heads.
Prize Draw Winners A further 28 Schools winning similar prizes
Tim Adams, Director of Pro:Atria said:
"We were delighted to be involved with this worthwhile event that was hugely successful with encouraging and engaging with young people. These young people will be the future coders and vital to the economic success of the country for decades to come. Our congratulations to all the winners as well as all entrants for their participation.To have so many enthusiastic children thinking and learning about all aspects of computers, gaming and security while winning IT equipment for the schools is a huge win/win for everyone involved and the DVLA is to be congratulated on organising such a successful event. We look forward to being part of the 2019 Challenge and hope that even more schools will be involved."
Further information from:
http://dvlacodechallenge.dvla.gov.uk/
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