Code Camp gives Japanese students a taste of a NZ education

ENZ delivered a one-day Code Camp on 11 July to 14 high school students at Waseda Jitsugyo School, using the Code Avengers platform to deliver coding lessons in English to the students and help them build a New Zealand-themed website.

Code Avengers is a global EdTech company based in NZ that provides interactive, gamified online courses that teach a broad range of digital skills including computer coding, digital literacy, and design.

The Code Camp was delivered in a hybrid format with two instructors onsite at the school and one instructor joining online. The day received positive feedback from students who not only enjoyed learning how to code using English, but also experienced New Zealand’s inquiry-based style of learning in a fun, collaborative environment.

ENZ’s Director of Education – Japan, Misa Kitaoka, says there is plenty of potential for EdTech services in Japan.

“While there is a general perception of Japan being technologically advanced, there is a lot of catching up to do when it comes to technology . As the Japanese government accelerates the promotion of digital education during the pandemic, Code Avengers meets the immediate demands of Japanese educators to teach Digital Technology and English language.

“What makes Code Avengers unique is its user-friendliness, accessibility and affordability.”

Coming up in September, ENZ is teaming up with Young Enterprise (YES), the North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (North Asia CAPE) and MEXT Tobitate (Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) to deliver a 3-day Biz Venture Programme.

Twenty high school students from Japan and New Zealand will meet online for three days to develop business solutions to address social issues in Japan, including child poverty, gender equality and well-being, and exploring the themes of UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Like Code Avengers, YES has been supporting secondary schools across NZ to promote youth entrepreneurship registering more than 1,000 enterprises, some of which have a strong SDGs focus on their business solutions.

Head of YES, Elizabeth Pittman says, “We are thrilled to offer our first ever entrepreneurship programme for New Zealand and Japanese students.

“With New Zealand’s geographic isolation and relatively small population, many Kiwi businesses need to think globally from the start. The BizVenture programme will allow our students to understand the Japanese business context and increase their global competency.  New Zealand youth have such a strong interest in sustainability and improving social outcomes within their communities and abroad, and this challenge allows them to explore that interest in a business context.” 

ENZ looks forward to continuing to exploring new modes of delivery and showcasing NZ education to key partners in Japan.