New Scottish coding and AI hubs to address ‘unacceptable postcode lottery’
“Access to grassroots computing initiatives in Scotland is often a postcode lottery with varying coverage and support” – Kraig Brown, Digital Xtra
A charity dedicated to boosting the provision of extracurricular computing activities for young people in Scotland is looking to set up a national network of community coding and AI hubs.
Over the past ten years, Digital Xtra has supported more than 200 grassroots activities by awarding some £1.1 million via its annual grants programme. These initiatives have engaged more than 60,000 young people while laying a foundation for ongoing engagement about computing and technology.
The charity is now looking to turbocharge those figures under its new “Code Xtra” strategy. It will see several new community coding and artificial intelligence (AI) hubs rolled out across Scotland as the organisation focuses on more of a “place-based” approach rather than funding individual projects.
In turn, these community hubs will directly support the growth of grassroots computing clubs in their local areas. With Scottish government support, the first phase of the project will see hubs based in North Edinburgh (Muirhouse Library), Midlothian (Dalkeith Library), Inverclyde (Creative Regeneration) and Moray (Elgin Library), with more scheduled to be confirmed elsewhere in the country later this year.
Digital Xtra will then continue working with the government and its industry partners, including Skyscanner, Baillie Gifford and Cirrus Logic, to extend the hub network.
Kraig Brown, Digital Xtra’s partnerships and development manager, said: “Technology is evolving faster than ever, and extracurricular tech activities are no longer just ‘nice-to-have’ - they are now a key part of young people’s learning journey. When assessment and accreditation aren’t the primary focus, young people have the freedom to think creatively, naturally building their ‘STEM Capital’.
“They are also a proven way to reach young people who often disengage in a traditional classroom setting and can be delivered in various locations or times that work for young people, their families, and the wider community.
“However, access to grassroots computing initiatives in Scotland is often a postcode lottery with varying coverage and support. This is unacceptable.
“Digital Xtra will continue to champion extracurricular computing initiatives for young people through our new community coding and AI hubs network, which will create a more joined-up approach to informal digital learning.”
Each hub will drive growth by focusing on three aspects - delivery, training and resources. They aim to act as a lending library with equipment and resources for local schools and community groups.
The hubs will feature Lego Education’s new, curriculum-aligned computing science and AI kits which teach “age-appropriate lessons” about foundational coding and machine learning.
Digital Xtra is understood to be one of the first organisations in Scotland to make this kit available to the public, while also introducing machine learning and AI skills to the charity’s remit for the first time. Ongoing training and support will be provided by Digital Xtra, Raising Robots, and Raspberry Pi Foundation as well as Digital Xtra’s other education and industry partners.
Minister for business Tom Arthur said: “Digital skills are essential for Scotland’s future, and every young person should have the opportunity to develop them, regardless of where they live, which is why I am proud to support this initiative.”
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