A national nonprofit group has arrived in Red Deer to help people improve their computer skills in an ever-increasing digital world.
Ladies Learning Code will offers workshops to help people learn technical skills and computer programming so they can do things like build web pages and place content on them, said Mary Medinsky.
Medinsky, a librarian, and Edward McIntyre, a web developer, are co-leads for the new Red Deer chapter of Ladies Learning Code.
“I definitely see how people are impacted every day by having strong digital literacy skills. The world is complicated and there’s a lots out there and to be able to navigate that effectively requires some understanding of what’s happening in the background.”
Ladies Learning Code workshops are open to men and women, and the Red Deer chapter hopes to branch into children’s classes as well. The code.mobile, a travelling commuter lab for children, is coming to Red Deer this summer but the date hasn’t been announced, Medinsky said.
The workshops have one mentor for every four students who want to learn beginner-friendly computer programming and other technical skills, Medinsky said. Participants will need to bring their own laptop, and have some understanding about using a computer and common applications. There is a charge per workshop to recover costs however scholarships are available for people who demonstrate financial need, Medinsky said.
“The goal is to open it up for as many people as possible.”
People who want to learn how websites work, from “content consumers to content creators” would benefit. Small business owners may want to learn more about how to manage their websites and create online stores, or artists may just want to showcase their work, she said.
“The world is changing and this is a great way to be able to participate in what the new digital world looks like.”
Started by a group of women in 2011 in Toronto, Ladies Learning Code is now in over 20 cities in Canada. They also have Girls Learning Code and Kids Learning Code chapters. The first Red Deer workshop — CSS/HTML for Beginners — launches May 14. Participants will learn to build a one-page website from scratch. It runs from 10 to 4 p.m. at the Welikoklad Event Centre, at 4922 49 St. For more information go to the website page: ladieslearningcode.com/chapters/red-deer or Facebook at Ladies Learning Code - Red Deer Chapter.