Congratulations to team Urban Coders (ages 13 to 18) for winning the “Sustainable City Development Award” at the 2022 Minecraft Cup! 🏆
The Minecraft Cup is held annually and the theme of 2022 was sustainability and creating an environment that integrates “nature” and “convenience” in the long run. Comprising of both local and Japan students, our young and talented students crossed borders and worked together to come up with innovative ideas.
Team Urban Coders created a city called CodeTropolis Nature. They focused on the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goal 15, and created a city rich with biodiversity and green architecture that blends the urban landscape seamlessly into the surrounding wetlands refuge and nature preserves.
Take a look at their beautiful Minecraft world – CodeTropolis Nature!
Combining their creativity and care for the environment with the help of code, the team was awarded the Sustainable City Development Award, making them one of the four teams to get an achievement in Minecraft Cup 2022!
View the livestream of their presentation here!
In addition, they were also selected for the Tokyo Bay eSG project. Along with another one of our teams, team Wither Coders (ages 7-9), they will be presenting their project to the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike! If selected, our students will get to see their Minecraft project turn into real-life architecture.
It has been tremendously encouraging to watch our students come together (globally too!) with a pioneering idea to help in solving today’s real-world issues. All teams have worked hard and done their best, and we would like to congratulate them all for coming this far. 💚
Want to create your own complex structures and design your dream world on Minecraft? Explore the different possibilities that you can create with our Holiday SpecialMinecraft: Code Your World (ages 10-12) class!
This year, we had the opportunity to coach Woodgrove Primary, who won the Most Feasible and Sustainable Award in the National Thinkers Challenge 2022 by Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan!
Out of 52 teams, the team placed in the top 3 and clinched 1 out of the 5 awards presented. This competition aims to let students think of innovative tech solutions and this year’s theme was food wastage, and the students created a prototype mobile app incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Here is the Woodgrove Primary Team during their Award Presentation!
Congratulations to the team who worked hard on their mobile app! They definitely deserved to be featured in 8world for their brilliant project. We are proud to be able to mentor these young talented coders and see the amazing work that they have created at the end of the journey. Thank you, Educator Edmund, for your brilliant coaching and mentorship of the team!
To boost Singapore’s Smart Nation capabilities, the inaugural National Thinkers Challenge (NTC) hopes to introduce to primary school pupils the concepts of design thinking, artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. Organised by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, the competition this year drew 232 upper primary pupils from 37 schools.
We were featured in Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报, the largest Singapore-based Chinese-language newspaper, on 22 May 2022! As Singapore advances towards becoming a Smart Nation, what does it mean for younger kids who are learning to code today?
Read our full feature and hear from our Co-Founders, Yong Ning Foo and Candice Wang, as they share the importance of learning to code, their insights on the increasing demand for coding classes for children, and more about how they wanted to teach their children to code starting from a young age – which sparked the beginning of our MIT-inspired coding classes at Coding Lab!
Here at Coding Lab, we believe in nurturing future leaders in technology – with our coding classes carefully tailored to introduce coding to children as young as 5 years old, and thoughtfully curated to suit different age groups as well as varied experience levels. We adopt inquiry-based learning to encourage students to actively try and explore – something that is beneficial not just in the area of programming, but also in other areas in life.
“Coding is a new literacy in the digital age. I hope that my children can grasp this language and build up their computational thinking skills. The computational thinking ability will help to build new systems, simplify processes and solve problems in our daily lives.”
– Yong Ning Foo
Our award-winning coding curriculum is curated based on students’ learning abilities, with kinaesthetic activities and block-based programming for younger ones, and incorporates GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level Mathematics for older ones.
Did you know? We have parents of two-year-olds who have registered on our waiting list for our Junior Coders’ Programme.
Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 also featured our student, 10-year-old Theodore Lee, who learnt to code two years ago and joined Coding Lab when he was 9.
His mother, Queenie, observed that the biggest improvement in Theodore after learning to code was the development of computational thinking, and when met with problems, he will calmly think through the problem step-by-step for a solution.
Today, he is in our Advanced Electives class alongside teenagers ages 13 to 18, and learnt to code this high-level Covid-19 Pandemic Simulator project. Check it out below!
Theodore coded a project that simulated a pandemic based on toggable variables such as vaccination rate and hospitalisation rate. He was awarded Distinction and Most Promising Coder for his impressive entry in the Ages 13 to 18 category.
The amazing 10-year-old (he was age 9 at the time of the project) also did a block-based Scratch programming project rendition of his Covid-19 Pandemic Simulator project and achieved another Distinction and Most Innovative award.
Thank you to Mediacorp’s Channel NewsAsia (CNA) and Channel 8 for featuring Coding Lab on the news! Aired in both English and Mandarin respectively, we are honoured to have been a part of this segment on nurturing future leaders in technology in Singapore.
Filmed at our cosy yet conducive campus at Parkway Parade, the feature covered how kids are learning to code at a younger age and how this very skillset will benefit them in the future.
Our Co-Founder and Community Director, Candice Wang, shared with CNA on the coding trends in Singapore, and how Coding Lab is doing our part to ensure that children learn to code.
Watch our full interview and catch Teacher Evan in action with our Young Computer Scientists, where our students Ages 7 to 9 were exploring Music through Coding in class!
We’re excited to spread the joy of coding and to be able to share our story in the mainstream media. We look forward to more opportunities like this in the future!
We’re proud to be featured in The Straits Times today! In Singapore’s English flagship newspaper, we shared our experience and thoughts on bridging the gender gap in the area of STEM.
“Given the right environment, girls can realise their potential,” our Director, Candice Wang, says. She is also a proud mother in the STEM field whose daughter attends weekly classes at Coding Lab.
A snippet of our feature on The Straits Times (9 February 2021, Monday, LIFE)
“Given the right environment, girls can realise their potential,”
Did you know that at Coding Lab, we ensure a gender-neutral environment to encourage students of all genders and ages to code? Some examples of how we do so include:
Showcasing a good mix of projects by girls and boys
Building programs, games and animations around students’ favourite cartoons and topics (eg. Disney shows and princesses)
Our superstar coder and University of Texas (Austin) scholarship recipient, Sarah Go, is also featured! She talks about her experience as a female in STEM and how her parents and environment has helped her to excel. Read her blog features here and here.
(Written by Cheryl Tang)
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This year’s bumper crop of medallists includes 1 Silver and 7 Bronze winners who are between 13 and 17 years old! Our winning students have been learning C++ and growing with us after being spotted in their Python classes for their programming prowesses. It is truly a great sight to see them flourish and become phenomenal medallists!
NOI spots are reserved for every school’s top students to participate, so only few can represent their school, and only the best can attain medals in the Olympiad. We’re even more proud of the fact that many of our medallists came to us as complete beginners in programming (some started at the age of 10!), and were carefully nurtured in our classes right under the noses of our eagle-eyed tutors to achieve their results. Well done!
Presenting to you Coding Lab’s 23rd NOI medallists:
Vayun Mathur, 15
Silver Medallist
Kushaan Mishra, 17
Bronze Medallist (First Attempt)
James Pearman, 14
Bronze Medallist (First Attempt)
Caleb Chia, 13
Bronze Medallist (First Attempt)
David Walton, 15
Bronze Medallist
Faiz Ali Shoaib, 17
Bronze Medallist
Bobis Franc Ivan Lorenzo, 16
Bronze Medallist
Elijah Yong, 14
Bronze Medallist
Silver Medallist
Vayun Mathur, 15
Singapore American School
Vayun (left) won a Silver Medal at the NOI
The Olympiad is one of Computing’s biggest annual competitions in Singapore and the Silver Medal is awarded to the top 20% of participants. We’re so proud of our young innovator for being 1 of the 32 Silver Medallists this year! An Olympiad medal is highly recognised for admissions to top universities around the world. During the competition, contestants are given five hours to work out solutions to algorithmic tasks. This does not only require skills such as programming and testing, but also Mathematics and in-depth knowledge of designing algorithms, data structures and information theory.
Our bright student Vayun has been in the news before, with features on Google and international news network CGTN. He has performed well once again and we congratulate Vayun on getting the Silver Medal!
Coding Lab’s Bronze Medallists made up 7 of the 49 Bronze Medallists in this year’s NOI. As one of the most prestigious computer science competitions, it’s not an easy feat to attain medals and our 3 students did Coding Lab and their schools proud when they emerged as bronze medallists on their first attempts! Our youngest medallist, Caleb Chia (just 13 years old!), has been with us since he was in primary school and we’re proud of his growth! All participants had to undergo a Preliminary Round to qualify for the NOI. Despite being new to the competition, our students ranked well and went on to clinch medals at the NOI.
(from left) Kushaan, James, Coach Guangxuan, Jun Ray and Caleb
We are proud of our students’ remarkable achievements and commend their hard work to overcome the odds, especially during this pandemic. A round of applause for Kushaan, James and Caleb!
4 Bronze Medallists
Elijah (left) and David at NOI 2019
David Walton, 15
United World College SEA Dover Campus
Faiz Ali Shoaib, 17
United World College SEA Dover Campus
Elijah Yong, 14
Anglo-Chinese School Independent
Bobis Franc Ivan Lorenzo, 16
Gan Eng Seng School
These 4 students were able to pit their computing skills against talented coders from more than 30 other schools and gain invaluable experiences in the Olympiad. Their consistent effort and hard work paid off as they took on programming tasks and made their mark at the reputable NOI.
This year’s medallists include Elijah Yong, who was awarded Youngest Medallist in last year’s NOI. The 14-year-old has been with us since he was a Primary Five student, when we spotted his potential and invited him to join our NOI programme. The Coding Lab team is proud to have seen him grow over the years into a confident teenager with medals under his belt and we commend him for his consistent hard work!
Elijah receiving award for Youngest Medallist, NOI 2019
The Coding Lab team is proud of our students for clinching the Bronze Medals, and we celebrate their achievements. Great job David, Faiz, Bobis and Elijah!
Congratulations to our outstanding students! We’re proud of our 8 students for coding their way to the top with their tenacity and hours of training, even overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic. They had been training once a week since the beginning of the year to prepare for the NOI and it was heartening to see their hard work pay off! We also thank Coach Guangxuan for his dedication, training and guidance of our students.
In this exclusive interview with the founders of Coding Lab, Yong Ning Foo and Candice Wang share some insights on how Coding Lab coped with the Covid-19 pandemic and some words of encouragement for the Coding Lab community!
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Coding Lab had to go through several changes, one of it being the transition to 100% online classes throughout the circuit breaker. The strong online learning system that we have built and tested (since 2019) enabled us to continue having fun and enjoyable classes for our students.
Let’s hear from our dear founders as they shed light on how they managed Coding Lab during these extraordinary times. May we never be deterred from the challenges that lie ahead and keep on persevering to face them head-on!
Here’s what Candice had to say!
1. Hi Candice, how has Covid-19 changed things for you? Was it for the better, or for the worse?
Covid-19 is unprecedented and like the rest of the world, we had to adapt to it quickly.
Personally, I appreciate the time I got to spend with my family as well as managing the shift from offline to 100% online classes not only at Coding Lab, but also for my kids’ enrichment lessons. My 7-year-old attended our own online Coding Classes during this period, and was able to figure out how to use the different functions of Zoom. To my surprise, not only could she do that, but she was also able to confidently navigate her school’s Home-Based Learning exercises entirely on her own even though there were close to 8 different portals.
If anything, we shouldn’t underestimate kids.
They are more capable than we think they are. This is evident in the joy my daughter derived from changing her user ID or private messaging her teachers on Zoom and arranging online meet-ups with her friends. It is a lifelong skill that she can now take with her.
2. Everyone has had to work from home due to the circuit breaker. What has been done to maintain a strong company culture?
The Coding Lab team were all involved in this one way or another. If you look at the event credits, you will realise that not only the Educators, but also the Marketing, Admin and Enrolment teams all came together to make it happen. The teamwork was truly amazing!
We also organised a couple of group workout sessions so that everybody could stretch their legs and keep fit at home. We even recorded a song and dance together! Sure… we missed our regular lunches and snack time, and birthday celebrations had to be done via Zoom and home deliveries, but hey! It was the new norm and we embraced it wholeheartedly.
The most important thing was that everybody was safe.
3. What is your most valuable takeaway from this experience?
“When life throws you curveballs, we will emerge stronger and be thankful for the small things in life.”
Having the team stay healthy and protected at home while adapting our processes to ensure the safety of everyone involved was critical, and taught us a lot about adapting quickly.
We also found our own special ways to continually engage our students; whether it was via regular WhatsApp chats to follow-up with them or a competition where they could express their ideas on solving Covid-19 related issues, we stayed connected.
Here’s what Yong Ning shared with us!
1. Hi Yong Ning, how did you handle the challenges faced due to the Covid-19 restrictions?
We have been planning for this for quite some time, since January this year. It also helped that we had run online workshops for the region before, so the process was relatively smooth.
2. What were the measures that Coding Lab had to take due to Covid-19?
The evolution of our processes started with Hybrid classes where we had a mixture of physical and online students (before circuit breaker), followed by 100% online (during circuit breaker), and now, a mixture again in Phase 2.
Prior to that, we had invested in video-conferencing platforms, online practising systems, digital writing pads and other tools to make live teaching fun and easier for both our tutors and students.
“We spared no effort to build a strong and solid support system that provided our students with the avenue to give their feedback or review course material as often as they wanted.”
3. What are some of the significant changes that will be done to come back from this better and stronger?
We also understand that many parents and students enjoyed the classes very much and have requested for their child to continue their lessons online. We are excited and happy to announce that we will be launching Coding Lab Online (Permanent) classes*.
*for selected modules only
4. What is your most valuable takeaway from this experience?
“Be prepared, plan ahead, and have a strong team to support and execute decisions quickly. “
All of these are critical in ensuring that the experience of our students remains consistent and of a high standard.
5. Do share with us a few words of advice/final message for the Coding Lab community!
Thank you for your support throughout this period. It means a lot to all of us. We hope you will enjoy using the materials and systems we have built and we look forward to welcoming you back, be it online or physically. Thank you!
Due to the rise of the digital economy [1], the demand for tech jobs has increased tremendously. Among those in demand are programmers – but what exactly are the starting salaries of programmers, and how do they compare to those of other professions?
If you’re interested in pursuing programming in the exciting field of technology and wondering how it would fare for you, you’re in luck! We’ve done the research and here’s all you need to know about the starting salaries of programmers in Singapore (based on recent years).
We’ve also thrown in a few career tips for you budding programmers, so keep reading to find out!
In recent years, companies have been restructuring efforts in an increasingly digitalised economy. This has resulted in workers with tech skills being the most in demand [2] – particularly workers with the knowledge of programming languages, data science, AI and machine learning expertise.
The latest graduate employment survey released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) [3] – showed that students in the information and digital technologies sector posted one of the highest rates for full-time jobs and median gross monthly salaries in 2019.
Those in courses such as computer science, information security and software engineering cinched one of the highest median gross monthly pays of $4,400, with Engineering and Health Sciences following closely behind with the median gross monthly salaries of $3,750 and $3,500 respectively.
The figures reflect the high demand for IT savvy graduates as companies hope to use technology as a competitive edge [4] by digitalising their processes.
Distinguished billionaires Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg started coding at the tender ages of 13 and 10 respectively – so never think that you’re too young to start! MOE schools have even rolled out a compulsory 10-hour coding enrichment program for all upper primary students with effect from this year but in today’s day and age, we all know that it is still not enough.
Today’s technology has brought us far – classes can even be conducted online! So how do you know if your kid has the chops for programming? Here are some tips (Budding Teen Coders – this is for YOU!) if you are planning to get started or have already gotten into the thick of coding:
5 tips for budding programmers:
1. Build a strong foundation in logical thinking
You learn to walk before you run, so learn to master the basics first! With a strong foundation, mistakes such as writing more code than necessary or finding code solutions that are not optimal can be avoided. Focus on mastering logic and your computational thinking concepts to build a solid foundation. Python’s a good one to start off with. After that, it’s just a matter of getting used to the syntax of the different programming languages – Building a 3D Game? Designing your own Stock Rating Algorithm? Building your own Web App? The sky’s the limit!
Students in our S101 Python classes.
2. Work hard, work smart
The more practice you have under your belt, the better. Participate in competitions, get involved with different projects, or even volunteer for a local non-profit organization to write software or teach coding to kids. Be prepared to be amazed with what you will learn. You’ll not only gain exposure, but also get to build soft skills and gain a sense of accomplishment.
The bright participants of our Young Coders’ Global Hackathon (YCGH) Finals!
3. Never Give Up!
There will be times where you’ll feel frustrated when trying to solve a problem in your code – and that’s totally normal! The key thing is to never shut off when you experience such setbacks. Error messages in your code are not messages that you’re bad at coding, it’s telling you the code just isn’t working in the way that you thought it would. It’s fine – chances are, you’re closer to finding a solution than you were before.
Students learning about Program Errors in our Python classes held via Zoom.
4. Optimise code efficiency – Be a perfectionist
Everytime you learn something new, work on your efficiency. Don’t approach your code the same way with the newfound knowledge that you gain – use shortcuts and make yourself a cheat sheet so as to save time and energy. It’s also really important to take breaks every once in a while so that you’re constantly refreshed to do your assignments!
At Coding Lab, we enforce a 5 minute eye break for every hour of coding that our students get to safeguard their eye health and to also inculcate good habits from young. It also helps to keep our students energised during our lessons!
Students focused on their work in class.
5. What can I do better?
Never be satisfied with what you have done. Always ask yourself: “What can be done better?” – There is always something that can be improved. Continuous improvement is a key trademark of a good programmer.
Bought the expansion pack for League of Legends yet? Who doesn’t love the refreshed look of your phone or your laptop after installing an upgrade for iOs, Android or Windows? These updates are important and beneficial in strengthening your cyber security through processes such as the removal of bugs and outdated features as well as the addition of feature enhancements to your devices.
“Good specifications will always improve programmer productivity far better than any programming tool or technique.” – Milt Bryce
Put out questions, search for solutions and learn from the Internet. Code can always be shortened. Code can always be more optimised. And the beauty is in the final product and the work that you have done with your two hands at the keyboard, day and night.
And of course, our reliable tutors at Coding Lab are always dedicated to helping students learn coding in the best possible way – we infuse our students with enthusiasm and help to create the best learning environment for you to comfortably learn in. Make sure to check out our classes here.
With the knowledge of starting salaries of programmers and these awesome career tips, we hope that these would motivate you in learning more and increase your passion for coding! After all, it’s our job to nurture future leaders in technology.
Thinzar, the President of Tiny Thinkers, explaining the Junior Computational Thinking kits to children at the booth.
On 9th November, Tiny Thinkers was invited to celebrate the 15th anniversary of NLB’s kidsREAD programme. Tiny Thinkers had a booth for children to kickstart their Computational Thinking journey with our Junior Computational Thinking kit. The kit, developed by Tiny Thinkers and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), allows children to plan a character’s story and also included hands-on activities for parents to complete with their children at home.
Our Tiny Thinkers team (in orange), Coding Lab Co-Founder Candice (third from left), and Amazon Web Services volunteers (in blue) taking a photo with President Halimah Yacob and Ms Low Tze Hui (far left), Manager, Infocomm Media Development Authority, and her son, Luke.
Thank you to President Halimah Yacob, Mr S Iswaran (Minister for Communications and Information), and Ms Low Tze Hui, for stopping by our booth to find out more about Tiny Thinkers and our goals for the children of Singapore!
Luke even had the opportunity to show President Halimah Yacob what he learned from the Tiny Thinkers Junior Computational Thinking kit. (Source: President Halimah Yacob’s Facebook, MCI Photo by Lee Jia Wen)
Tiny Thinkers is proud to have been able to collaborate with NLB to reach out to more parents about the importance of Computational Thinking in today’s digital economy. This is especially relevant as this year’s kidsREAD programme was focused on promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics.
A volunteer from Amazon Web Services guiding two young children through the Junior Computational Kits.
Throughout the year, we worked closely with NLB to hold free one-hour workshops titled ‘Tiny Thinkers On The Go’ at Tampines and Jurong Regional Libraries, where our Junior Computational Thinking kits were also distributed. We hope that participants of all our Tiny Thinkers events enjoyed completing the kit activities and that this jumpstarts their interests in computational thinking!
Thank you to all the Amazon Web Services (AWS) volunteers for collaborating with us for this event!
We also want to thank our Amazon Web Services volunteers who helped us to guide the children and spread the word about computational thinking among the event’s participants! We couldn’t have reached out to as many people without their assistance, persistence and love.
Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information, also dropped by our booth to have a chat with Thinzar, President of Tiny Thinkers, and our Amazon Web Services volunteers.
Tiny Thinkers will also continue to collaborate with NLB next year, where free Junior Computational Thinking Kits will be given out to 3,500 participants of the kidsREAD programme to equip them with the tools to be digitally-ready.
More children trying their hand at our Junior Computational Thinking kits!
If you weren’t able to get a kit this year, fret not! We know that as parents, we all want to give our children a headstart in this digital age. Do keep a lookout on our Tiny Thinkers page (or Facebook page) for updates on what we’re doing and on our future events!
Another Amazon Web Services volunteer assisting participants in Computational Thinking.
2020 definitely looks like an exciting year ahead for our Tiny Thinkers!
About kidsREAD A nationwide reading programme launched in 2004, it encourages positive attitudes towards reading and aims to inculcate good reading habits among young Singaporeans of all races, and especially those from low-income families.
About Tiny Thinkers A non-profit campaign by Coding Lab that aims to empower and educate parents to kickstart their little one’s journey in Computational Thinking.
Coding Lab was invited to be a part of Project We Care Garden Party at the Istana on 1st September 2019. Our founders and volunteer tutors were on-hand and eager to impart their coding knowledge to people of all ages at the booth.
Coding is for everyone of any age!
The bi-annual social wellness event by the People’s Association reached out to 1,500 beneficiaries from low-income families, the less privileged children, and the elderly. Visitors to Coding Lab’s booth were treated to a programming feast as they got to code Photon robots to ‘eat’ mooncakes, ketupats, putu mayams and cupcakes (Each delicacy representing one of the major ethnic groups in Singapore!).
Our Founders with Mr Chan Chun Sing, Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association and Minister for Trade and Industry, at the Project We Care event.
Coding Lab has been working to bring programming to communities as part of this initiative. Our volunteers have taught Python to youths and conducted workshops on app usage for the elderly. We are proud to do our part in spreading digital literacy in Singapore.
It’s Coding Lab’s honour to be a part of Project We Care Garden Party at the Istana, where we were able to showcase and share with others the joy of coding and programming. Thank you to the People’s Association for giving us the opportunity to participate in this meaningful initiative to give back to the community – we can’t wait for our next corporate social responsibility event!
About Project We Care
Started in 2012 by People’s Association, the project aims to rally businesses to contribute to meaningful causes in the community and to encourage volunteerism. The bi-annual Garden Party @ Istana partners with corporations to bring joy to beneficiaries through fun and engaging activities.
To find out more about Project We Care, click here.
