Designed to bolster its Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Design (STEAMED) initiative, the Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with iamtheCODE to offer free coding and digital skills courses to young women and girls across the Philippines.
In a statement issued Saturday, Aug. 31, DepEd announced that the partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, following a courtesy visit and presentation by iamtheCODE founder Lady Mariéme Jamme this week.
The signing ceremony was attended by several distinguished individuals, including First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Karen Davila, Her Legacy Foundation Co-Founder Darlene Ty-Nilo, and Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuillier, along with members of the DepEd executive committee.
iamtheCODE is a pioneering African-led global initiative that aims to empower one million young women and girls to become coders and innovative problem-solvers by 2030.
“We are helping people around the world. Not only is it African-led, but I believe our knowledge and expertise can also benefit the Filipino community here,” Lady Mariéme said.
Through this partnership, iamtheCODE will grant DepEd schools access to its 12-week blended curriculum, which includes STEAMED workshops, apprenticeship programs, and a repository of open-source online courses.
Similarly, the iamtheCODE platform will provide over 60,000 free courses to young Filipino women and girls. These courses will encompass both technical and soft skills, with an emphasis on STEAMED subjects.
As part of the implementation strategy, iamtheCODE, in collaboration with DepEd, will conduct a skills benchmarking exercise to identify the specific needs of Filipino students, ensuring that the program is effectively customized to fit the local context.
DepEd will be responsible for disseminating information about the availability of the courses, while iamtheCODE will support the pilot implementation in selected schools.
The program will be piloted from Grade 7 through Junior High School in participating schools across different regions.
Angara thanked Lady Mariéme for iamtheCODE’s dedication to empowering Filipino learners through the platform.
“The presence of Lady Mariéme here underscores our shared commitment to enrolling even more Filipino young women and girls in iamtheCODE’s programs, giving them a better chance at a brighter future for themselves and their families,” Angara said.
The initiative, which aims to boost knowledge in STEM, artificial intelligence (AI), and coding skills among high school students, has been a top priority for Secretary Angara since his first week in office.
The groundwork for this extensive initiative was meticulously handled behind the scenes by the Secretary's wife, Tootsy Angara.