Live Code, a company that is ‘committed to promoting digital literacy‘ will launch on April 2, World Autism Awareness Day, an IndieGoGo campaign that aims to train 3000 young adults on the autism spectrum across the world how to code. The IndieGoGo campaign can be found at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/empower-individuals-with-autism-through-coding
The LiveCode website states:
‘We will provide a 6 month training program with specialist support to help these young adults develop employment skills or gain self-employment in the app business.’
It is a stark reality that 80 per cent of young adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed or underemployed.
The LiveCode vision is as follows:
‘LiveCode has a very clear vision that Everyone Can Create Apps. We mean anyone, anywhere. No experience needed. Our vision was realized in 2013 when we ran one of the top ten Kickstarter campaigns of that time, raised $750,000, and made the LiveCode platform faster and easier. LiveCode has a proven track record in Education, is used around the world with all age groups including ⅓ of all high schools in Scotland. Previous courses have enjoyed up to a 93% success rate.’
We contacted Jana Doughty, Digital Media Marketing Executive from LiveCode who explained more about the IndieGoGo campaign.
Who originally came up with the idea of LiveCode? What was the inspiration behind it?
The inspiration behind LiveCode is the idea that everyone can create apps. We wanted to make app development accessible to a wider audience than is currently possible with traditional complex development tools designed for professional developers. Quite a number of people contributed to the ideas behind LiveCode. It has its roots in Apple’s old HyperCard product and it is very much shaped today by the vision of our CEO, Kevin Miller, and technology director, Mark Waddingham.
Who are the individuals/companies involved with the LiveCode Campaign?
We are a diverse group of organizations and individuals who have come together to create a solution to a real problem: helping those on the autism spectrum to learn to code and create apps. Organizations include the National Autistic Society, Specialiststerne, Autism Initiatives and LiveCode.
How do young people become involved in the training programme?
The program is open to all and we will provide details on how to sign up for the course on the campaign page once the campaign is active. In the meantime, please help by spreading the word. You can sign up to stay up to date at livecode.com/autism.
Do individuals need an IT background or knowledge about coding?
No. That’s the great thing about this training program. No background experience of coding is required. Someone on the autism spectrum will be able to bring a mentor to help him/her and we will teach that individual, too. Neither the student nor the mentor need to have coding experience.
Who will deliver the training programme?
The technical aspects of the course, coding, and app development will be delivered by LiveCode. Support surrounding autism will be provided by the partners listed above.
What will happen once the individual has completed the course?
Our goal is to create a certification program and online marketplace where some of the individuals who completed the course would be able to go to sell their services. If we hit the campaign stretch goals, we will form a social enterprise to hire a small number who complete the course to work on a product with the aim of providing ongoing sustainable employment.
What will the ‘next steps’ be once the target is reached regarding this campaign. Will there be more training places available or different courses?
If we exceed our target, we will make additional places available on the course.
How can our readers help with raising awareness about the campaign?
Please sign up to stay up to date at livecode.com/autism. Please also spread the word. Once the campaign is active, we would very much welcome as much support as possible with raising awareness through social media and other channels.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
We’re very excited to launch this campaign and we hope to make a positive difference in the lives of those that take the course.
To learn more about the IndieGoGo Campaign please visit the LiveCode website livecode.com/autism
IndieGoGo Empower Individuals With Autism Through Coding: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/empower-individuals-with-autism-through-coding