BONNERS FERRY — In Idaho, the current unemployment rate has been steady at about 3 percent as of May 2018, but the Innovation Collective is actively working to change that.

The Innovation Collective is a group of people who are working with Apple Inc.’s Swift program to teach and encourage residents in Idaho to use coding.

Coding is the language that computers, cell phones, and other electronics use to tell it what to do. The Innovation Collective has paired with the University of Idaho to bring the program and resources to Boundary County.

On March 26, the team came up to the Boundary County Fairgrounds to introduce the program to the community. During that event, the team introduced community members to the program and allowed them to get hands on experience with what it was all about.

On June 26, there was a gathering at the University of Idaho extension office where the people taking the course could get their tablets and any assistance with the course that they needed.

The program focuses on teaching coding skills, but each participant studies independently. There are representatives from U of I, Innovation Collective, and Apple Swift that visit each city and provide support and motivation to each community member that is participating. The group mentors also assist with bringing the group together frequently to help share ideas and assist each other.

“It’s not a teaching class, its self motivated, and the idea is to provide assistance and help participants move along,” said Dr. Charles R. Buck, the University of Idaho Associate Vice President and Center Executive officer in North Idaho.

The classes are free, but the program is noticing that obtaining enough tablets to supply all those who want to participate is an expensive task, and in turn are encouraging communities to assist with the program where applicable. As of this stage in the program, there are restricted amounts of the resource, so class groupings are limited, but it is still possible to join and participate.

“It is available to any adult, even younger. It’s a free curriculum and we are engaging people to go through the curriculum, and once you go through it, you will have developed an app,” said Buck. “Anyone can do this, it is available online and you can go get it, but what we are trying to do is to help build a community around engaging the curriculum and being successful.”

With an opportunity to learn something new in a field that is rapidly expanding, residents in Boundary County can make a difference, be creative, and eventually obtain a career in the field.

For more information, visit innovationcollective.co, visit the U of I Extension Office located behind the Boundary County Courthouse, or visit www.uidaho.edu/cda.