This summer I had the amazing opportunity of hosting a community service project titled “Coding for Change”, funded by a grant of $4000 from the amazing foundation of the class of 1978 from Princeton. This project aimed to empower underprivileged youths in Nepal through coding education, fostering innovation, and promoting technology-based careers. Over a six-week period, from June 8th to July 20th, this initiative made significant strides in bridging the digital divide and offering opportunities that have the potential to transform lives and communities.
The target community for the project was a specific public school in Nepal, catering to underprivileged students who had limited exposure to technology and its creative possibilities. The core objective of the “Coding for Change” project was to equip these young individuals with foundational coding knowledge, enabling them to perceive technology not only as consumers but also as creators and innovators.
The approach to achieving this goal was multifaceted and encompassed a range of activities. Firstly, a tailored coding curriculum was developed, keeping in mind the local context, language, and available resources as soon as I arrived in Kathmandu. After resting and recouping, I set to work designing the curriculum based on Khan Academy’s programming curriculum. It was hard to make it engage as we didn’t have access to operatable computers, so I had to really think about distilling the foundation of computer science to these students with just a black board. My solution was just to focus on one overarching concept called Abstraction and focus on how languages have different abstraction from binary to programming. The project introduced “The Innovators” book to students, fostering discussions on the history of computers and the nature of innovation. It was an interesting supplemental book to this project as the students were inspired by all the figures in the book as intended. The female students were even more inspired as they realized how crucial of a role women played during the development of computers.
The approach to achieving this goal was multifaceted and encompassed a range of activities. Firstly, a tailored coding curriculum was developed, keeping in mind the local context, language, and available resources as soon as I arrived in Kathmandu. After resting and recouping, I set to work designing the curriculum based on Khan Academy’s programming curriculum. It was hard to make it engage as we didn’t have access to operatable computers, so I had to really think about distilling the foundation of computer science to these students with just a black board. My solution was just to focus on one overarching concept called Abstraction and focus on how languages have different abstraction from binary to programming. The project introduced “The Innovators” book to students, fostering discussions on the history of computers and the nature of innovation. It was an interesting supplemental book to this project as the students were inspired by all the figures in the book as intended. The female students were even more inspired as they realized how crucial of a role women played during the development of computers.
Another interesting challenge I faced during the project was the outbreak of two diseases in Nepal and the school. One being Conjunctivitis which a lot of students were contracting and the other was Dengue which was also another scary virus. Due to this, I had to keep my distance from the students and I always ensured proper PPE during the classes.
As for the accomplishments, twenty students successfully completed the coding curriculum, gaining valuable foundational skills that could serve as a launchpad for their future endeavors. Impressively, ten students expressed newfound interests in pursuing careers within the technology sector, showcasing the project’s capacity to inspire and guide career aspirations. In addition to these results 15 students wanted to fully pursue education no matter the cost as Nepal has a different system for 11th and 12th grades. They wanted to commit to finish their studies with the hope of successfully applying to colleges in the United States as they were inspired by all the Innovators in the book who attended schools like Princeton, Harvard and many more. My biggest happiness came from their continued desire for education as education is expensive and students in Nepal typically only study until grade 10 with most never setting foot in another academic institution after that their whole lives. Therefore, with this hope I wanted to convince them the value of education via the topics of the lesson and the book Innovators which I am proud to say everyone grasped.
In conclusion, the “Coding for Change” project exemplified the transformative power of education and technology in uplifting underprivileged communities. It underscored the significance of tailored education that respects local contexts and the potential for collaboration to drive meaningful change. With the accomplishments achieved in its inaugural run, the project provides a model that can be replicated and expanded to other schools in Nepal and potentially to other countries and cultures. There are plenty of more students in need through the valleys and mountains of Nepal, and thus it is my hope to continue this project to help more students.
As a continuation of this project, I have gathered the students email address and will continue hosting classes monthly via Zoom. These classes will act as a check-in with the students and provide mentorship to students who want to apply to schools in the United States.
I want to sincerely thank the Class of 1978 foundation for making all this possible. It has been an amazing journey to go back home and help my community. This opportunity has not only taught me about myself but also all the work that needs to be done in countries like Nepal.