From Learner To Leader | Khushi Khurana | TEDxJeffersonU

Key Findings - Traditional coding education can be intimidating for young learners [2][3] - Peer learning encourages students to tackle challenging concepts through collaboration [6] - A survey of 430 middle school students revealed that less than 0.5% of girls and 13% of boys expressed interest in a tech career [8] - Early access to real programming is essential in a world shaped by AI [9] - Fun is a key element in teaching kids effectively [10][11] Program Design & Impact - A coding camp with two 90-minute sessions per week ran for eight weeks [5] - The curriculum focused on activities and challenges that sparked creativity [5] - A coding camp led to an 80% increase in girls' desire to keep learning and a 50% increase in participants interested in a tech career [8] - Student confidence in their abilities increased by 60% after a Python camp [14] - Initiatives should be peer-led or developed in collaboration with youth to increase effectiveness [15] Recommendations - Connect learning to the real world to make it relatable [16] - Embrace peer learning and involve students in lesson planning [16] - Make learning fun with games, challenges, and prizes [17]