The Wugu Nyambil Yarrabah Accelerator & Business Hub, supported by Deadly Innovation, Advance Queensland, engaged Deadly Coders to deliver a Deadly Coding Day for 15 Yarrabah High School Students in June as part of the 2023 Tropical Innovation Festival.

“It was so much fun, I wished we could do this at Yarrabah school” Participating student.

Students designed and coded their own Minitendo games, and uploaded them onto a hand-held gaming device. From Space Invaders to Pac Man, and extending into adventure gaming, the students really engaged with the program, and became junior game developers within a day!

The goals of the program were to expose students to the types of learning that STEM education holds, and create engaging pathways for students into future career pathways in STEM and Innovation. The day was a huge success – teachers were delighted with the enthusiasm and engagement demonstrated by the students.

“I’ve never seen the kids so engaged and interested in an activity” Pauline Kent, Yarrabah High School teacher.

Participating students had no previous experience in any coding activity. From the beginning of the day, they were totally absorbed by the program. Students began with basic coding principals, learning key techniques they would apply into their gaming devices. With the theory under their belts, they were unleashed onto a world of coding and game-building.

Over lunch, participants and speakers from the Tropical Innovation Festival joined the students, sharing in their achievements and providing encouragement and support for their new learning journeys. The students also learnt about STEM and the possibility of careers for the future.

Positively, after the workshop, all of the participating students indicated they wanted to know more, and further explore STEM and entrepreneurial activities in the future. A day of deadly coding fun!

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