News from our chums at Active Coding Academies:

A Scottish coding startup aimed at students aged 12-17 is celebrating their launch by giving teens the chance to win free admission to their summer programme.

Edinburgh-based Active Coding Academies, which is operated by i2diversify, are looking to offer three lucky applicants the chance to experience the two week residential camp hosted at Strathallan boarding school near Perth.

The programme, taking place in early July, aims to educate students in various coding languages, from beginner to experienced.

Classes will introduce students to the wonders of coding using Python, React JS, Java and SQL.

In addition to classroom teaching, students will take part in an extensive daily outdoor activities programme with the option of taking part in a different activity each day from swimming and football to salsa dancing and climbing.

Themed evening events also encourage students to work in teams and develop their ideas introduced in the classroom with activities such as a Zombie Murder Mystery to be featured in the programme.

Founder and Managing Director at ACA, Marc Dinardo, believes the unique experience they are offering is extremely beneficial to children’s development.

He said:

“There is nothing currently available that combines learning to code and physical activity, targeted towards teenagers.

“Both are of equal importance and we are going to educate students on the skill of coding, but also allow them a sense of freedom, to make new friends, create lasting memories and have as much fun during the summer as they possibly can.

“With a diverse range of careers now available to aspiring coders, we are seeking to develop a programme that appeals to both males and females across wide ranging backgrounds.

“We are on the lookout for three students who may not necessarily have considered coding before, but are open-minded, interested in learning and want to spend part of their summer in a stunning setting.

“Strathallan is a beautiful place and its availability is perfect in ensuring students have access to the very best facilities for sport and coding on campus.

“All the staff at ACA are hugely excited for July and look forward to hearing from applicants over the next few months!”

Tracy Pattinson, who is the Commercial Lets and Events Manager at Strathallan school, is also a fan of what Active Coding Academies are hoping to achieve.

“Strathallan is the venue of choice for a wide range of organisations during the spring and summer holidays and we are delighted to add the inaugural Active Coding Academy to our extensive programme.

“This unique course encourages children to engage in a variety of activities both inside and outside the classroom and Strathallan is the perfect environment for this.

“The programme which Marc and the team have brought together promises to be very popular and we look forward to welcoming students of Active Coding Academies to Strathallan in the summer.”

Teenagers who are interested in this opportunity are asked to complete the brief personal statement and application form at https://activecodingacademies.co.uk/sponsorships/ outlining why they should be selected!

The deadline for applications is the 14th April. Follow ACA on Twitter and Instagram at @activecoders, for updates and more information.