ThinkYoung, Boeing Launch First Coding School for Displaced Ukrainian Teenagers in Gda?sk

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

ThinkYoung and Boeing kicked off the first coding school for Ukrainian teenagers. Boeing International President Sir Michael Arthur, Boeing Poland Managing Director Rafa? Stepnowski, Boeing Engineering Technology Center leader Iryna Bielienko from the company's Ukraine team and ThinkYoung founder and CEO Andrea Gerosa hosted an opening ceremony at the Boeing office in Gda?sk. Together with the vice-mayor of Gda?sk, Piotr Borawski, they welcomed the first class of participants to the coding school.

"Polish society has provided an incredible support for people from Ukraine. I am deeply impressed to witness the solidarity of our Boeing colleagues in Poland with their teammates from Ukraine. By hosting our ThinkYoung Coding School at the Boeing Gda?sk office, we are extending this support to the young generation to help ensure they have the skills they need to succeed and to encourage young people to be excited about the future of aerospace where Poland has such a long history," Arthur said.

"When we think about today's labor market, we see that there are many professions that did not exist 10 or 20 years ago. I am convinced that this change will proceed even faster, and today's students will be doing work that is difficult for us to imagine today. That is why it is so important to acquire the skills of the future and I am absolutely convinced that this program will help a lot," added vice-mayor Borawski.

During the next three weeks, classes of 20 to 40 teenagers aged 13-18 years will participate in two-day seminars. While the majority of program participants are Ukrainian, the program is also open for children with other nationalities.

In addition to coding skills, the seminars will also introduce participants to emotional intelligence, a competency that is equally important in a modern work environment. The training – 100% free of charge – is characterized by its innovative approach in a non-formal educational setting, addressing the real needs of both the youth of today and the skills required by the industry.

"The war in Ukraine is a tragedy of incalculable dimensions that is affecting all aspects of the lives of Ukrainians. Our ThinkYoung Coding School aims to alleviate the impact of the war on the proper educational development of young Ukrainians by supporting and enhancing their digital and technological skills and projecting them into their educational and professional future. We are proud to partner with Boeing for 7 years and reaffirm our joint commitment to improving the lives of young people around the world," commented Gerosa.

Since 2016, ThinkYoung and Boeing have introduced more than 900 teenagers to coding. Around the world, 15 editions of the Coding School have taken place so-far.

The ThinkYoung Coding School is one of many Boeing community engagement initiatives across the world. Since 2018, Boeing has invested more than €5.9 million for pan-European STEM projects.

The Boeing company committed €2 million in emergency assistance funding to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Boeing employees have contributed more than €1 million in donations to charitable organizations supporting those affected.