The
York Region District School Board has had the opportunity to partner with the
Career Education Council to provide our ICT and Business SHSM students an
opportunity to learn how to create their own app through Swift. Two of our
Develop the Future alumni students shared their experiences with the program
and how it has impacted their future aspirations and pathways.
Please tell us a little bit about who you are and where you are now in
your journey.
Paul:
Hi, my name is Paul, and I’m a Grade 11 student at Westmount Collegiate
Institute. I’m an alumni of the Develop the Future program and am now a mentor
to those currently taking the program.
Florence:
Hi, I am Florence from Unionville High School. I am also an alumni of Develop
the Future. I took the program last semester and created Remindable, an app
that helps organize the chaos of everyday life geared towards the elderly and
those with ADHD like myself. Since the program, I have continued to work on
Remindable and hopefully by next fall, it will be out to the public.
Please tell us about your connection with Develop the Future.
Paul:
I was a part of the program last semester, where I learned a lot about app
development and entrepreneurship. I created an app called Chimesy, which
basically allows users to store and play audio files they have saved on their
phone in playlists, allowing for a convenient add free listening experience. It
was an amazing experience and I’ve started recommending the program to everyone
I know taking co-op with an interest in computer science.
Florence:
Same as Paul, I took the program last semester and created my aforementioned
app. Through Develop the Future, I learned not only coding and technical
skills, but also the “soft” skills, which really aren’t that soft. Given the
current state of the world, being able to collaborate and learn in an online
environment has become more pertinent than ever. Working in an online
environment with a diverse group of mentors and fellow peers, I’ve been able to
really put those important “soft” skills into practice. In fact, the skills
have come in handy pretty recently when I was planning a hackathon, AliceHacks,
this past 5 months. With a team across Canada, working online is the only
viable option and the experience with Develop the Future has greatly improved
my ability to lead my team. Soft skills are not “soft”. These are skills that
will serve you forever in whatever you do.
What was your view of computer science and app development before
starting the program, and how did your perspective change as a result of this
experience?
Paul:
While I did have experience coding before attending the program, I’d like to
note that there is a difference between coding and programming and developing.
Within this program, I was able to learn all the additional things on top of
programming that go into making an actual feasible product that can have an
impact on the world. Anyone can write a line of code, but to actually develop
something of substance, takes a lot more effort and planning and requires
different types of skills.
Florence:
Last year, I took a computer science course, but I’m going to be completely
honest and say it wasn’t my absolute favourite. Sometimes computer science can
feel quite monolithic, especially as a beginner or from an outside perspective.
But here at Develop the Future, I think it really puts into perspective that
computer science is just a tool at your disposal. All those crazy ideas that
you’ve had floating around in your head? You can make them into a reality! That
in itself is amazing, but to be able to share it with people worldwide by
making it accessible digitally is even more mind-boggling.
What do we need to do to inspire more students to pursue computer
science and more schools to join this revolutionary program, #DevelopTheFuture?
What is your advice for students, teachers, industry experts and stakeholders?
Paul:
There's this notion today that, before you can even attempt to learn computer
science you need to already be a genius. Like if you can’t derive a function in
your head, don’t even bother trying. The fact is anyone can learn to code and
Develop the Future is so great in that aspect because it teaches you from
scratch. We need to make people less afraid to learn and make it known that you
will be supported through your journey of learning to code regardless of
experience or skill level. If you want to try it, just start. There should be
no barriers for anyone who wants to get started. Look at me for example, I went
from someone who didn’t own a MacBook to creating an app using Swift, and now
becoming a mentor for the program.
Florence:
Just getting the word out there that programs like Develop the Future even
exists and is accessible to any student of any skill level would be huge. Right
now, in my opinion, students are more ambitious than ever before and educators
are well aware of that. But, many may not know that opportunities like this are
right around the corner.
