"Selection process for enrollment at School 21 in Nizhny Novgorod has commenced anew"
In the heart of Russia, School 21, a coding school founded by Yandex, is making waves in IT education. The qualifying stage for admission at the Nizhny Novgorod campus has begun, with 248 participants aged 18 and above, averaging 26 years old, hailing from various regions such as Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Moscow, Kirov, Mordovia, and Chuvashia.
The unique educational approach at School 21 is the peer-to-peer method, where participants exchange knowledge and experiences with each other. This method emphasizes mutual support, hands-on experience, and active participation, fostering a strong community that values curiosity and teamwork.
During the 26-day qualifying stage, participants will learn the basics of programming in C, create their own game, and develop 15 individual and 3 team projects. Participants can choose from four development directions: Backend, website interface development (Frontend), mobile development, or game development (GameDev).
For those who excel, the main course awaits, offering various IT specializations. In addition to these IT specializations, School 21 offers five programs where coding knowledge is required but not at the level demanded from developers, such as cybersecurity, data science, systems analysis and business analysis, DevOps, and ensuring the smooth operation of high-load services, as well as software testing.
The benefits of this peer-to-peer approach are numerous. Students develop enhanced collaboration skills, deepen their understanding, and cultivate autonomy and responsibility. They also foster a strong community and network that motivates learners and provides emotional and academic support. Practical skill acquisition through project-based learning integrated in a collaborative environment is another advantage.
This innovative method aligns well with modern IT industry demands, producing graduates who are not only technically competent but also skilled in teamwork and continuous learning. The results speak for themselves, with most participants receiving job offers upon completion of the training.
Interestingly, around 50% of participants have no prior IT experience, demonstrating the accessibility of School 21's education. The training takes place on the domestic digital educational platform, and a mandatory part of the training is a three-month internship.
Egor Poliakov, Deputy Governor of Nizhny Novgorod, has noted the importance of School 21 in meeting the demand for experienced specialists in the region's large IT companies. Due to the skills they acquire, participants adapt faster to IT teams and receive their first promotion on average two to three times faster than their colleagues.
As the qualifying stage continues, the stage is set for a new wave of IT talent to emerge from School 21 in Nizhny Novgorod.
School 21's unique education-and-self-development program, using the peer-to-peer method, encourages personal-growth by fostering collaborative skills, deepening understanding, and cultivating autonomy and responsibility among its participants. During the qualifying stage, participants engage in learning by creating games, developing projects, and choosing from various IT specializations like backend, frontend, mobile development, or game development, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning.
