A group of Indigenous artists are helping kids learn coding through a school music program aimed at improving Indigenous representation in the Canadian tech workforce.
The new program, called “Your Voice is Power,” teaches students coding as they remix songs from Indigenous artists.
Using the EarSketch coding software created by Georgia Tech University, the platform allows students to turn the code into music along with beats and loops provided by the artists.
Indigenous singer-songwriter Jayli Wolf told CTV National News she sees huge potential in the project.
“I think that art is such a great conversation starter and with music, every song is a story,” she said.
Wolf is known for using her music as a platform for social justice and racial equality, two themes that are also a part of the program’s learning curriculum.
The “Your Voice is Power” program uses eight learning modules to teach coding basics, while also engage students in discussions on the First Nations, Inuit and Metis experiences.
“I think it’s so wonderful they are bringing music into the classroom where we can have these really important conversations,” Wolf said.
Christine M’Lot, a curriculum developer specializing in Indigenous education, told CTV National News the program aims to promote equality by making coding more accessible.
According to a 2016 study from Ryerson University’s Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, roughly two per cent of those employed in Canada’s technology sector identify as Indigenous.
“That is a real goal of it, to get Indigenous youth excited about a career in technology,” M’Lot said.
The program, which launched last week, is available in all provinces and territories, including some of Canada’s most remote communities that have recently gained access to high-speed internet services. The learning modules can be accessed in English, French, Cree, Ojibwe and Inuktitut.
About a thousand students between Grades 7 and 12 are expected to participate in the initiative. In addition, Amazon Music will award two scholarships worth $5,000 each for the best coded music remixes submitted.
