Teaching Python and machine learning to students in Tanzania, over Zoom
Miles apart, students at E3Empower learned Python, trained their first models, and then started teaching younger children themselves.
This summer, we had a special opportunity: teaching Python and machine learning to students at E3Empower in Tanzania. We were miles apart, but their excitement reached us across the screen. We couldn’t meet in person, yet every session felt close.
Two weeks of Python
For the first two weeks we focused on the basics: data types, loops and functions. The students worked through exercises, solved CodingBat problems and finished Sololearn courses as homework. We could watch their confidence grow, and many earned a Sololearn Python certificate, which made them proud.
Real programs
Once they were comfortable with the basics, we moved to hands-on projects. The students built a rock-paper-scissors game, a music player, a number guessing game, a scientific calculator and hangman. Seeing a few lines of code become a working program made their excitement grow, and so did their belief in what they could do.
Machine learning
Next we took a first step into machine learning. We started with Google Teachable Machine, where students trained their own models to get the result they wanted. Then we introduced Google Colab and showed them how to work with datasets and train models that make predictions. It was hard at first, but once they saw how machine learning could be applied to real problems, they became more engaged.
On the last day we talked about how AI could help solve problems in Africa. It was wonderful to see the students think beyond code and imagine how technology could change their own communities.
A ripple effect
Our time together was short, and none of us wanted the class to end. The students wrote heartfelt goodbye messages about what they had learned.
But the impact didn’t stop there. After finishing the Python and machine learning classes, these students started teaching younger children at the E3Empower center, passing on what they had learned. Another organization has also begun working with them on web development. What began as a simple coding class has become a growing ripple, inspiring more students to explore technology.
Read more about Future of Tanzania.