Score one for enabling anyone to become a programer – Simplon, a name that has been talked about quite a lot among the Paris startup community, has succeeded in raising the €15,000 it needed in order to build its school for underprivileged youth looking to learn to program. The six-month program, which will take place just outside of Paris in Montreuil, will allow anyone – with or without previous experience in programming – to explore and develop their projects & passions.
The crowdfunding project, which mixes the tech markets constant urge to bring innovation to more people and the French urge to make technology and education available to everyone, captured the hearts and minds of many Frenchman, both on Twitter and in traditional French press like LeMonde.
With the crowdfunded money, Simplon.co will be able to beginning training recruits (just 3 for now) who it hopes to place in web developer positions upon completion of the program. If Simplon is a success, it will contribute to the recent wave of schools. like Xavier Niel’s 42Born2Code, in filling the plethora of vacant developer positions in France.