Happy Autism Awareness Month!
On this first day of April, I am sharing a critically important and completely awesome campaign with you. Beginning tomorrow, April 2, 2015, LiveCode is launching an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign to raise $350,000 to offset costs of creating a customized program with mentors, teachers and a sustainable commercial venture with an autism-friendly online marketplace for program graduates to sell their services.
“Many with autism have an inability to socialize, show heightened abilities in pattern recognition and a keen attention to detail. These characteristics make them uniquely-suited for the tech industry,” said Kevin Miller. “Our ultimate goal is to impact the bleak unemployment statistics for these individuals.”
LiveCode is creating 3000 free places on a specially modified version of the popular Create It with LiveCode online training program. Their 6-month program aims to teach anyone with no past coding experience how to build replicas of a dozen of the popular apps that we use every day on our smartphones, such as the Calculator, Clock, and Messages app. Students will use these skills to build their own apps. In addition, another spot will be available for every course participant with autism to bring a mentor, such as a parent or friend, who will also be supported online. After the course, LiveCode will make available an autism-friendly online marketplace for program participants to bid for work and sell their services freelance. Their goal is to create a sustainable commercial venture that will boost employment prospects for individuals with autism.
Go to LiveCode.com/Autism to learn more and find out how to support this amazing campaign!
