Altino cars are emerging as a transformative tool in STEM education, particularly within innovative programs like Oceanit’s SURF (Social Utilization of Resources for the Future) initiative. This program, dedicated to inspiring educators and students across Hawai’i, leverages Altino autonomous cars to make coding accessible and engaging.
Manufactured by SaeOn, Oceanit’s South Korean partners, Altino cars were initially integrated into the school curriculum in Daejon, South Korea. This city has since become a leading coding education hub in Korea, demonstrating the powerful impact of introducing code-able cars to students.
Oceanit champions the adoption of coding education in Hawai’i schools and utilizes Altino autonomous cars as a core component of its teacher training programs. Since partnering with Kamehameha Schools in early 2017, Oceanit aims to integrate computer coding into the curriculum throughout Hawaii by equipping teachers with the necessary coding skills. Inspired by South Korea’s commitment to making coding a mandatory part of student learning, Oceanit is using SaeOn’s Altino cars to train teachers, with the vision of providing every student in Hawai’i with exposure to computer programming.
Statistics underscore the critical need for and public support of computer science education:
- A significant 90% of parents recognize the value of Computer Science (CS) in school resources.
- Over 60% of parents believe CS should be a mandatory core subject.
- Alarmingly, only 25% of schools currently offer any form of coding classes.
- Less than 8% of administrators perceive a strong parental demand for CS education.
- The primary obstacle to offering CS courses is the shortage of trained educators.
By the summer of 2017, Oceanit launched its first Altino cohort, providing local teachers with programming training and professional development credits. Oceanit’s approach extends beyond basic training, focusing on developing coding-integrated lesson plans across various subjects. For example, geography teachers can use programming to illustrate historical sailing routes. By the end of 2017, eight cohorts had been completed, with plans for continued expansion in 2018.
Oceanit’s efforts with Altino cars are rooted in the belief that the apprehension towards coding lies more with educators than students. Their mission is to equip Hawaii’s youth with essential skills – human, business, and technical – empowering them to forge their own careers, establish companies, and contribute to the prosperity and well-being of Hawai’i.
The Altino coding initiative has garnered attention from various news outlets, including Hawai’i Public Radio, The Geek Beat, Geeks and Gadgets, and Hawaii News Now. In 2018, the Altino Coding team, comprising members from Oceanit and Kamehameha Schools, received the Social Impact Entrepreneurs of the Year award at the Hawaii Venture Capital Association (HVCA) Deal & Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, recognizing their impactful work in promoting computer science education throughout Hawai’i.
To discover more about Oceanit’s SURF program and its initiatives, please visit oceanitfoundation.org.
