Dele Tejuoso worked as a strategic planner in the advertising industry for several years providing clients with innovative solutions through market research, strategy development, designing and implementing successful marketing campaigns. She read Computer Science and Engineering as her first degree at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and is currently rounding up her MBA at the Warwick Business School UK.
She has been involved in CSR projects such as the O2 Academy, a hands-on creative training school designed to bring the real every day workplace experience of an advertising agency to every fresh graduate with a passion for advertising. There she lectures in strategy and marketing.
Last year 2013, she launched a digital media school, the Wifi Combat Academy. The academy is involved in empowering kids and teens with digital media skills. The vision of the academy is to generate a critical mass of highly motivated and skilled young people that are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the workplace in the digital age. WiFi Combat Academy (WCA) is offering hands-on learning experiences in a broad range of digital media technologies were children learn and are taught up to date latest technology. We are developing e-smart kids.
We incorporate the adobe curriculum to most of our courses to fully engage students and improve academic outcomes. By working with technology in project-based curriculums, students learn to express themselves and develop essential 21st century skills. Our courses range from computer graphics design, illustration, Web design and Photography, Animation, Mobile Apps Design, Film editing, Robotics, Computer Programming and Computer Games. Our tools of learning are Photoshop, Flash, Scratch, Adobe Dream Weaver, Adobe Premier and Adobe illustrator.
Her Story
I’ve always been a very creative person when I was young I used to draw and sketch. I wanted to be a fashion designer or even a writer (I loved to read and write) unfortunately we didn’t have that type of environment to encourage one on vocational skills. My parents are medical doctors and right from when I was young I was indoctrinated to study medicine – to become a surgeon. I had my primary education in the UK and attended International School University of Lagos for my secondary school. I did not end up studying medicine but Computer science & Engineering at LAUTECH Ogbomosho. The funny thing was that I picked up graphic and poster design whiles I was in school and was awarded the best female graphic artist.
I am a brand consultant and run my own digital media company. Interestingly I was inspired by my daughter (10 years old at that time) who during the holidays will visit the office and brainstorm on ideas for web development and branding projects. My daughter would ask the staff to teach her Corel-draw and Photoshop. In 2012, I started the Wifi Combat Academy in my garage with my two nephews, my daughter and son where they were taught the fundamentals of graphic design.
Inception:
Wifi Combat Academy took off officially last year 2013 during the summer through the help of Mr Sola Bickersteth the former MD of CHAMS; he assisted us in getting a partnership with CHAMS, where we could work with the children at a reduced rate. CHAMS has one of the best computer facilities in Nigeria; each child work independently and is exposed to an apple system.
We have had 3 very successful programs; Summer and Christmas Digital boot Camp 2013 and the just concluded Easter holiday “KIDS & Teens 2 can program 2014”. We have started weekend classes at CHAMS to reinforce what they have learned. The summer holiday 2014 is going to be very interesting it’s titled “Film & Photography Summer Academy”. We intend to teach children film production and photography.
The name “Wifi combat”:
The name Wifi Combat Academy was birthed from “Who is the Wifi kid?”
The WiFi kid is confident, independent, inquisitive, adventurous and passionate about the world around him. Totally wired to the internet world, with his/her iPod; is continuously downloading music and videos from the iTunes store off the internet. He/she follows the latest tech and subculture chatter on sites and plays more video games online and in the process has created a whole new tribe of techie friends.
When it comes to learning new technology, whether designing video games, mobile apps, web design, 3D animation, video editing or digital photography, he/she is constantly learning to inspire creativity. Children currently have all the technological tools around him, either through downloads of latest online tutorial program or design workshops, the latest wired magazine or computer arts, the latest books or e-books, or a friend who has vast experience, so they are “totally wired”.
There is a paradigm shift on education and emphasis today is to catch the children young from the early age of five. It is critical for children to be immersed in important 21st century skills and engage in STEM learning at an early age because this phenomenon has caught up in Europe, Canada, USA and India. Parents need to invest on and in their kids early on acquisition of skills.
Malcom Gadwell, the author of “Outlier’s states” in his book wrote about the 10,000 hour rule.
For one to attain true mastery you need to accomplish 10000 hours
1000hrs=3hours a day= 20hours a week
Global leaders such as Bill Gates founder of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg founder of facebook, Paul Allen co-founder of Microsoft and Stephen Gary “Steve” Wozniak co- founder of Apple changed the way we communicate and do things. What did these global leaders have in common?
Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Paul Allen and Steve Wozanaik started programming before the ages of 10. They had mastered their skills and were well prepared for the environment of opportunity.
At the WCA we are creating the environment of opportunity for kids to learn techie skills.
Our Uniqueness
Gaining Real World Experience at our academy, kids get a leg up in the fast-paced world of technology. They are building computer skills that have real-world application.
What makes us different from other academy is the passion we have in the way we teach kids to learn new technological skills. This is done through projects; we don’t want children just to learn the tool but how to apply what they have learned. We help children to discover more and be creative by developing unique content.
For our first summer boot camp, the older kids designed their own personal websites using Photoshop and Dreamweaver. What was exciting about it was that kids who learned for just 10 days came up with very interesting content. We had Tamilore Dada from Greenspring School who designed a fashion website, Ayomide Tejuoso from Grange school who designed a pop cultural site; we had Mayowa Olajide a student of Redeemers school who designed a car site. For our last December camp, classes 7- 10 years the kids were asked to design t-shirts. One of the students Ayomikun 7 years, a student of Grange school caught our attention, her copy on her t-shirt design was SWAG! “Something We Africans Got”
The children are not just learning about web design but they are learning from actual web developers and graphic designers. By learning from professionals who actually do what they teach, children develop a strong sense of learning put into practice. They are inspired to reach their full potential, in an atmosphere where learning is interchangeable with fun. We have a commendable team of professionals who have worked in various media and advertising firms over five to eight years. Our team is efficient, offering hands on training that will enable the participants advance on the relevant applications.
We bring in leaders from different companies to mentor the children. For our first camp we invited Mr Victor Dairo; Creative Director of Prima Garnet who spent two days with the younger class (7- 11 years old). We invited co-founder of Kuluya.com Mr. Chris Okonkwo’s, Giddimint during boot camp and renowned contemporary photographer Uche Iroha co-founder of Depth of Field (DOF) for our Christmas digital boot camp 2013. For our just concluded Easter holiday 2014 we invited the Commissioner of Science & Technology of Lagos State Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje and Co-founder of BudgIT Mr. Joseph Agunbiade.
We offer internship to our students from the ages of 11 to 16 years to broaden their knowledge on various skills they have learned. Our first student Tamilore Dada (12 years old) a student of Greensprings Secondary School who successfully developed two mobile applications was awarded internship from one of the mentoring teams, founders of leading African tech startups- Mr.Joseph Agunbiade co-founder of BudgIT. WCA was granted internship from companies; AVF (Audio Visuals First a leading production house), kuluya.com (Digital media firm) & Giddimint.com
The Journey hasn’t been easy but for the support from these organizations: Cosmos Technology, DDB, Glendora Bookshop, CHAMS, LEGO, AVF, OXYGEN Academy, STORM Nigeria, Jack & Jill, without them it would have been a different story.
We also are using this platform to appeal to organizations to be a part of this new revolution. We need for organizations to sponsor kids who attend government schools. Give these kids a chance!
Mabel Dimma
