Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery offers free coding workshops

LIHU‘E — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Intern Abigail Seibel said workshop participants will learn how to make the shark swim.

The Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery in the Kukui Grove Center will be offering two free coding workshops on July 10 at its learning center. The first workshop for “Beginners” ages 8 to 12 years old will start at 11 a.m. followed by a second workshop starting at 1 p.m.

“The Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery just wants to present another opportunity for young people to learn,” said Jean Souza, the on-site manager for Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery. “We’re taking advantage of Abigail’s talents to teach young people coding. Abigail’s major is computer technology, and she has the computer that we’ll learn together with.”

Seibel said coding is simply stated as telling a computer to do something.

“We’re going to teach the shark how to swim, using the computer,” Seibel said. “This is called Block Programing.”

There is a limit of 10 people for each workshop, including parents, Souza said. To ensure a spot in a workshop, pre-registration is required. Registration can be done by contacting Souza at Jean.Souza@noaa.gov, or by calling 808-651-1457.

“And, the best part is that it’s free,” Souza said.