Dear Pythonistas,

We would like to inform you about project Match & Teach Me for Integration, an e-Learning platform to train refugee students in Greece, on computer programming. The pilot program starts this Wednesday, 26th of July, with an introduction to Python for beginners, and we are looking for a couple of middle/senior level Python developers to provide mentoring through web conference (in English) to 10 refugees 16-24 years old, for a couple of hours per week, for approximately 2 weeks.

So, if you can afford to spare them just a few hours of your time, please step forward and apply as a volunteer here. We are pretty sure that the gratitude those people will show you will be a precious reward.

Below, you will find a short description.

We deeply apologize if you found this message intrusive.

Thank you!

Match & Teach Me for Integration – Description

The idea

Bridge the European digital skills gap by teaching refugees how to code, through an e-Learning platform with the use of their smartphones.

Summary

Match & Teach Me for Integration is a project of the recently registered NGO, REvive Greece. The project’s objectives are:

·           To fight the digital skills gap in Europe.

·           To help refugees integrate into the receiving European countries and get into employment.

Initially, through our e-Learning platform Match & Teach Me for Integration, the newcomers will take courses on computer programming, through their smartphones. Technologies to be taught include HTML, CSS, JS, Python, PHP, Java and MySQL.

If they successfully pass the courses, they ‘ll have a chance to be employed in the private sector.

Our vision - Expected impact

·           It is estimated that currently there is a shortage of 400,000 software developers in Europe alone, with the projection this shortage to reach 800,000 until 2020. By teaching coding to the newcomers, we will manage, not only to integrate them into the receiving countries but also to boost their economies through the “Brain Gain” effect.

·           Since Greece, as the main entrance to Europe for refugees from the Middle East, is the assembly point for those waiting up to 2 years for relocation to other European countries, it can become the place where the newcomers will learn a highly valued skill.

·           It is crucial that the refugees who will finish the coding courses will not be competing with the locals for a position into the out-of-balance job market (high demand / low supply). Hence, they will not be perceived from them as intruding rivals, especially in southern European countries like Greece, where there is increased unemployment.

·           The refugees who eventually become IT professionals will have a major role in the rebuilding of their countries if they ever return back.

·           Under our proposal, refugees, public, civil, and private sectors, they all win. That is why we truly believe that solution is sustainable and is expected to have a great impact.

Some technical

·           The coding courses are taught via the smartphones they already have.

·           We provide (free of charge, of course) a limited number of flexible Bluetooth keyboards.

·           With the support of the Greek Mobile Operators’ Association, we will also provide to all students the SIM cards needed for access to 25 Gb of data/month for free.

·           The e-Learning platform is based on Moodle and the development is carried out by WIDE Services (the Official Moodle Partner in Greece) which ensures the technical expertise.

·           An example of how one can code through her smartphone can be found here (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR4g0KkgqZw.

·           Regarding the IDE, for Python we suggest QPython3.

Distinction - Support

This initiative was among the finalists (was chosen among 1623 submissions) at the international competition “Innovate for Refugees” which took place in Amman, Jordan last October and was organized, among others, by UNHCR and UNICEF (this attracted the attention of some charitable institutions and CSR programs).

As a result, our organization secured the support of the Greek Mobile Operators’ Association and was selected for incubation at HIGGS, the NGO incubator which is funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and provides apprehensive high-level training and support to established and upcoming NGOs.