Yesterday, Facebook launched a new initiative called TechPrep. Aimed particularly at women and minorities, it’s designed to help youngsters find a trajectory into the world of tech—with the help of their parents.
The site’s not one of those that are designed to teach kids to code; instead, it’s there to inspire them and their parents about the computer science sector. So, it’s possible to learn about the kinds of jobs that exist in the tech sector, which organizations they might join, and hear from real people working in the area about their experiences. And yes, it will at least point them in right direction if they want to code, too.
The initiative was inspired by a study carried out by McKinsey, which showed that 77 percent of parents don’t know how to help their child pursue computer science as a career. For low-income and non-college graduate parents, that figure was even higher, at 83 percent.
The site, which is available both in English and Spanish, will be specially curated for each user, providing different content depending on age, skill level and the kind of resources you set out looking for.
[TechPrep]
