Qatar National Scratch Coding Competition: A premiere in the state of Qatar!

In partnership with the Qatar Ministry of Education and Higher Education, UNESCO-Doha Office, Qatar National Research Fund and Qatar Mobility Innovations Center, the French-Qatari School Voltaire is pleased to announce the first programming and coding competition using Scratch in the state of Qatar. This competition was founded by the initiative of Mrs. Eman KHOUJA, Computer Science & Technology Teacher and Coordinator at the French-Qatari School Voltaire, in collaboration with the MIT media Lab in USA.

A number of professors, teachers and researchers working in the fields of education, higher education and scientific research in the State of Qatar have been involved through different kinds of participations (implementation, coordination and judging).

The ability to code computer programs is an important part of literacy in today’s society. In this scope the Qatar National Scratch Coding Competition QNSCC, aims ultimately to encourage students to learn coding from an early age. The QNSCC initiative seeks to boost interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through ludic and enjoyable projects aiming to encourage critical thinking, creativity and innovation. Consequently, it will promote the creation of a more sustainable educational and economic future in convergence with both; the National Vision of Qatar 2030 and UNESCO’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Scratch is a visual programming language that encourages children to develop essential coding skills through fun and interactive learning. It is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab.The National Scratch Coding Competition is now open and geared to all innovative Qatari and resident young coders aged from 6 to 18 years old, in primary, middle and high schools, as well as students attending after-school coding clubs and it is divided into two major axes: The Open Category and the Regular Category.

More than 14 prizes will be granted to the three first winning teams in each category and each age-group. The 2018 QNSCC Awards Ceremony will take place during the National Scientific Research Week (11-15 March) in Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC).

Private and Public Schools all over Qatar were invited to register through the official website www.qnscc.com since December 7th, 2017. The deadline for registration is Wednesday 31st of January 2018.The QNSCC competition witnessed till now a remarkable growth in the number of participants with an honorable registration rate that may go above and beyond expectations. Indeed, more than 84 schools have registered teams in both categories, with a total of more than 250 teams up to now!

For more info please visit www.qnscc.com