To elevate and widen the digital interest and skills in our youth, the Centre For National Distance Learning And Open Schooling (CENDLOS) teamed up with UNICEF and Minecraft Education to introduce the “Hour of Code” for Junior and Senior High School students to boost their creativity and innovation through computer programming.
The three(3) day workshop came off on Thursday 2nd March through to 5th March, 2023 with most of the representatives from MOE, GES, NTC, NACCA among others.
The initiative on coding which is powered by UNICEF, Minecraft Education with CENDLOS as the implementing agency, has an overarching goal to transform learning in Ghana through coding. This digital initiative changes how children learn using participatory,communication, inclusiveness, creativity and critical reasoning.
Minecraft is a game based platform that equip students with problem solving skills, literacy skills and the freedom to explore and solve very challenging problems that confront society and the world. The Minecraft platform also ensures inclusive learning to change how children learn in and outside the classroom. Students who are able to finish their section on the platform are given certificate of completion to inspire them and their peers.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of CENDLOS, Nana Gyamfi Adwabour emphatically stated that digital migration has become very crucial necessitating the importance of any child to possess an ICT skills. He pointed out that CENDLOS is creating a digital eco system to incubate students to acquire digital skills.
Nanayaa Amoako Baffoe of CENDLOS, Communications/Personal Assistant to the Executive Director who has never been exposed to coding was the first to be awarded a certificate by Minecraft.
Some participants who had first-hand experience on the gaming platform applauded CENDLOS and its Donor Partners for introducing such an intellectual mode of learning.
The Director of Science Education Unit of GES, Mrs. Olivia Opare opined that Minecraft platform will aid student academic performance, adding that effective collaboration with the various stakeholders will ensure the efficient implementation of the project .
UNICEF and Minecraft Education also alluded to participants in their commitment to support Ghana through digital education to equip Ghanaian students to become local and global functional citizens.



