Pangasinense high school studes join Google Code-in

Even high school students in Pangasinan can now learn how to do coding.

With the hope to turn students into contributors to open source projects in the future, tech giant Google, Inc. launched Google Code-in, a contest for pre-university students with the goal of encouraging young people to participate in open source.

Code-in Secondary students fill-up their forms online as they join the Google Code-in contest for pre-university students.

Secondary students from various schools participated in the Google Code-in Pangasinan Meet-up on Dec. 26, 2013 to respond to the call of the company for young would-be-contributors.

Spearheaded by Google Business Group (GBG) Pangasinan and Dagupan chapters, the meet-up encouraged the students to be interested in the world of open source.

Chelle Grey, Google Developers’ Group (GDG) Program Associate for Southeast Asia, graced the half-day event at the Malong Conference Room, Malong Bldg. on the Capitol Compound, Lingayen. Halfway through the event, she pushed the students to ask questions about Google Code-in or share their remarks about the whole thing.

She added that they should not be shy in doing so.

With her were Reymart Canuel and Celine Marie Barrozo, both GDG volunteers; and Jomar Tigcal, GDG Philippines Community Manager, who discussed to the attendees what Google Code-in is all about and other things they needed to know.

Students not younger than 13 years old and not older than 17 years old could participate in the contest by registering on the Google Code-in website.

Participating open source organizations would upload a list of tasks to the website that interested students could perform. If a student had chosen one task, he could claim it until the time he finished it.

An evaluation team from the organization would assess the output. If the output was satisfactory, the task would be closed. Otherwise, the student would have to improve his work and the task would remain open.

Students who completed one task would be given a certificate. On the other hand, participants who finished three tasks would receive a shirt.

Furthermore, twenty grand prize winners would receive round-trip coach air transportation for themselves and one parent or legal guardian to Google’s Mountain View, California, USA Headquarters for four nights where they would attend an award ceremony, have an opportunity to talk to Google engineers and have a fun day touring San Francisco.

The contest began on Nov. 28, 2013 and ended on Jan. 6, 2014.