Central American and African Children Need to Attend STEAM and Tech Conferences

Central American and African Children Need to Attend STEAM and Tech Conferences
William Jackson, M.Ed. My Quest to Teach

Students working on projects — Students working on STEAM projects

Computers and technology are forever changing the thinking
of youth, teens and young adults especially children of Central
America and Africa. There is no denying the influence of digital
platforms, tools and Apps that are accessible on the Internet.
We are living in a revolution of digital engineering, exploration
and innovation. Technology is allowing children to become
digital influencers at an early age and growing into agents of
social, cultural, economic and intellectual change.
Generations of youth, teens and young adults are the digital
natives, digital innovators, digital pioneer.

Digital Natives on the average ages 12 to 32 spend hours creating
content that is transformative and influential. They are engaged
and involved. Digital natives will never know a time when they
were not and are not connected to the Internets’ vast resources
of information.

Children and youth need to learn the value of a digital global
perspective of the world, because their content is being shared
nationally and internationally, they must learn to function in digital
worlds and outside of them.

Children are not the future consumers, they are the NOW
consumers and the influencers. They are also producers
that create change so the title “Agents of Change” are serious
directions that can yield great power and great influence.

Youth, teens and young adults are discussing social issues nationally
to gain attention and awareness to what they think is important
because of the empowerment of the Internet they are being heard
from Central America to the African continent.

Parents must be able to teach, model and investigate the accuracy
and truth of content their children consume and post. Their voices
should not be an ECHO, but should be original and authentic. Kids and
youth being the digital citizens and innovators of today are surpassing
their parents in knowledge about issues that need problem solvers
now, not waiting decades to address issues and problems that are
creating global changes.

Conferences like WordCamp and KidsCamp build a foundation of
awareness and inspire learning. The fastest growing nations for
kid and youth conferences are on the continents of Africa and
Central America. WordCamp and KidsCamp are overflowing
with attendees and their parents.

Conferences in Central America are increasing with WordCamp Nicaragua,
Panama, Costa Rica and soon Guatemala Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
WordCamp conferences are available each year for adults, and as the interest
grows youth, teens and young adults will see kids and youth conferences
suited for their needs, to help them build digital access for collaboration
and to create their own businesses.

Africa has similar events, WordCamp Harare, Lagos, Entebbe and
Port Harcourt, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Egypt; there will be others as
interest grows. The continent needs these conferences and others
to inspire youth and teens to be the influencers needed to build their
nations by thought leadership, intellectual design, digital innovation
and creative selections because youth, teens and young adults
will be competing globally while collaborating nationally.

Education at all levels will have to embrace STEAM initiatives to teach, mentor,
guide and empower children to lead their nations into the 22^nd century and
beyond. If Central American and African nations do not continue to prepare
generations to be the digital leaders they need. They will truly be cast into
the realms of nations passed over and continued to be in third world or
lower status. They will not have the ability to take their nations into global
financial strength because their children and each generation will not be
prepared to lead.

Parents are taking advantage of conference opportunities to encourage
their children to attend events and networking opportunities. Exposure
to critical and higher order thinking learning that is needed. Youth and
teens future career choices are influenced to help develop the tech
visionaries that each nation in Central America and on the African
continent will need to grow their economies in new and diverse directions.

The explosion of STEAM and Web Development is becoming the new norm
for learning. If Central American and African nations want their children to
be future influencers, decision makers, venture capitalists, investors,
mentors they must provide for the conferences to bless their children.
To inspire and educate continued generations with knowledge and wisdom.
To see upcoming conferences for potential attendance and sponsorship’s see
WordCamp Central – https://central.wordcamp.org/