The American International School Hong Kong (AIS) has established the region’s first Swift Coding Club chapter within an international school setting, cementing its commitment to cultivating digital literacy and creative problem-solving among students. Guided by Apple Distinguished School Lead Jeremy Green, the initiative leverages Apple’s proprietary programming language, Swift, and integrated development environment, Xcode, to teach students the fundamentals of professional app design for various platforms, including iOS and macOS. The club reinforces the school’s long-term vision of integrating advanced digital skills across all academic levels.
Integrating Creative Confidence with Digital Skills
As an Apple Distinguished School (ADS), AIS emphasizes a continuous learning path in digital creativity, where coding concepts grow iteratively from early childhood through high school. According to Jeremy Green, the teacher advisor for the club, establishing the Swift chapter naturally extends the school’s ADS goals.
“The Swift Coding Club aligns perfectly with our mission to help students build creative confidence in the digital realm,” Green explained. “Our objective is to move beyond simply teaching students how to code; we’re focused on teaching them how to utilize code for creative thinking and solving real-world problems.”
The club functions as an advanced track for the school’s robust TECHsperts student leadership group, which currently engages over 70 students from Grades 5 through 12. The concept for the specific Swift chapter crystallized following a March 2025 collaboration with Apple Education and the Hong Kong Competence Education Foundation (HKCEF) during Hong Kong’s inaugural International Coding Exchange in Singapore. During this exchange, AIS students visited Apple’s regional Developer Headquarters, sparking the idea to expand in-house coding opportunities.
Coding Fundamentals Remain Vital Amid AI Revolution
While artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly influences the technology landscape, student leaders stress the enduring importance of understanding core coding syntax and logic. The Swift Coding Club recently hosted Hong Kong’s first “Hour of AI” event, providing students with hands-on exposure to machine learning concepts.
“Even in this modern age of AI, students still need to grasp the fundamentals of coding,” noted Sanjay Murali, a Grade 10 TECHspert. Murali and fellow Grade 9 TECHspert Vivin Sharma teach lessons within the club, emphasizing that true innovation requires deep understanding, rather than solely relying on AI for code generation.
Sharma concurred, suggesting that while AI provides useful templates, “true creativity comes when you understand the language behind it. Knowing how to code lets you personalize and innovate much faster.” Students are encouraged to begin their coding journey by creating apps related to their personal interests, such as designing a custom music player or a simple video game.
Real-World Application: Developing a School Chatbot
The club quickly moved from foundational lessons to ambitious practical projects. One key undertaking is the development of a sophisticated school-wide information chatbot. This innovative tool aims to centralize and streamline communication by providing quick, personalized access to essential data like course descriptions, faculty directories, and campus logistics, reducing reliance on disparate emails and message boards.
Developing the chatbot presents practical challenges, particularly related to data accuracy, privacy, and security. Students are actively working on prototypes, learning to implement safeguards to prevent the system from pulling incorrect information or exhibiting security vulnerabilities.
Looking ahead, Green confirmed plans for the club to host public, student-led workshops and participate in future international coding exchanges. The ultimate goal, he stated, is to transition students from being consumers of technology to confident, independent creators and innovators. The Swift Coding Club’s successful launch marks a significant stride in further establishing AIS as a leader in Hong Kong’s growing digital education community.