The concept of "summer school" is foreign to many Europeans. Many think that kids should relax, have fun and take a complete break from school rather than continuing to study. European national summer school holidays tend to be shorter than those in North America which can last between 2-3 months. In The Netherlands for instance, the school summer vacation lasts six weeks because school holidays are distributed throughout the year. There's a big difference between
Read morethe Netherlands
NewTechKids is pleased to open up registration for its Summer 2021 bootcamps. We're again partnering with the Amsterdam Public Library to offer kids in Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands the chance to learn computer science, a subject which is not taught in most primary and high schools in the Netherlands, and develop 21st century skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork and collaboration, communication and creativity. We will be offering six, week-long bootcamps
Read moreNewTechKids is making it easier for kids to experience computer science and programming education and discover why it's so much more than sitting behind a desk and coding boring stuff. We will organize two, separate 'Try It Out' workshops for kids ages 7 - 12 at the Amsterdam Public Library on Tuesday, March 18th and Tuesday, March 25 from 16:15 - 17:25. During each workshop, kids will discuss technology and then work in small groups
Read moreThis week, NewTechKids started a new 'Problem-Solving with Computer Science & Programming' at a primary school in Amsterdam. Our first lesson: how technology helps us automate tasks so we can free up our time for other things. We discussed 'smart' household devices, what tasks they automate and how to design one. Then we challenged kids to design, build and program a robot to automate a specific task. What a difference props make! We provided a
Read moreWhile some formal education is an important aspect of preparing for future careers, it’s not the path for everyone. Many people working in the tech industry and creating/producing/making with tech tools are self-taught, relying on books, online resources, YouTube tutorial, free software, coding forums, and hands-on experience. Shaquille Veldboom, a young black man who grew up in Amsterdam Southeast, a low-income, predominantly black community, was the recent subject of a PreparationTech interview. At the age
Read moreNewTechKids and the Amsterdam Public Library (OBA) strictly adhere to the COVID-19 social distancing recommendations issued by the Dutch government. Our bootcamps take place in OBA's Junior Lab, a large, well-ventilated room. NewTechKids is using AI-based software to design our classroom layout and the placement of tables and chairs, location of teacher, etc. Tables and chairs are spaced apart to encourage social distancing. Each class, NewTechKids' teacher checks the temperature of all children with a
Read morehttps://vimeo.com/408410161 JP van Seventer is passionate about all things related to online gaming. JP is Co-founder and Managing Director of Dutch Game Garden, a game incubator and business centre for small gaming companies and independent game designers located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. In this interview, JP talks about his own experience in game development. He also shares his thoughts on: the kind of people who thrive in the gaming industry and their knowledge, skills, characteristics and
Read moreDeborah Carter, NewTechKids' Founder, Director and occasional teacher, was recently featured in a special supplement about technology and child welfare on February 26, 2020 in het Parool, one of the Netherlands' major newspapers. In it, she shared her experience and opinions on topics ranging ranging screen usage, gaming and how to teach kids about computer science, programming and robotics to engage a more inclusive group of students, including girls. Read article in Dutch. Here's a
Read moreBeing able to learn constantly and apply knowledge and skills throughout one's life will be the key to achieving success in the 21st century. It also reflects a mindset which needs to be nurtured from a young age, especially for future innovators. But how do you get to this point. Turns out that there are tried and true effective learning and studying techniques which are backed by science. Unfortunately, most people aren't using them. Which
Read moreStarting this week, NewTechKids is teaching new programs at schools in Amstelveen, a city just outside Amsterdam. We're teaching students at Amity International School Amsterdam and Kindercampus King. Amity is an English-language private school which opened in February 2018 and offers education for students ages 3-18. Students are multicultural, with students and teachers coming from all over the world. We were approached by one of its science teachers who was interesting in augmenting their current curriculum
Read more