The Government of Canada’s CanCode program is providing $12 million in funding to Actua, a charitable organization that provides educational programs in science, engineering, and technology to young people in Canada.
This funding is part of the $60 million in funding that was promised to CanCode in the 2019 budget; bringing the funding promise to a total of $110 million when factoring in the 2018 budget.
Announced last week by Marco Mendicino, the Member of Parliament for Eglinton–Lawrence and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, this funding will allow Actua to provide 900,500 coding and digital skills training opportunities to students, from kindergarten to Grade 12, as well as provide 16,350 teachers across the country learning opportunities to hone their skills for teaching coding in the classroom.
“Technology has transformed our everyday lives in many ways, including the skills we need to excel in the working world. Learning digital skills and coding, and how technology can help drive innovation, will help open so many doors to our next generation,” said Mendicino. “Giving the opportunity for all children to become tech-savvy and learn coding is important to ensuring they are set up for success, and it will also help strengthen our economy for many years to come.”
According to the press release, the first phase of CanCode provided 1.9 million experiences in coding and digital skills training to Canadian students and teachers.
CanCode is a key part of Canada’s Digital Charter; aligning with the charter’s first principle that ensures Canadians have equal opportunity to take part in the digital world by providing them the skills and tools required to operate in a digital economy.