For over twenty years, Calcey has provided Clients worldwide with world-class software and product engineering services. However, Calcey remains deeply rooted in Sri Lanka and will always be committed to helping the Sri Lankan tech ecosystem thrive. Through partnerships with several leading Universities in Sri Lanka, we prioritize giving back to the community by engaging in workshops, seminars, and other thought leadership activities to empower the next generation of tech leaders in Sri Lanka. We’ve also pioneered several other tech initiatives to enhance individuals’ literacy, leadership, and competency around coding and tech in the country. In line with National Coding Week 2024, we wanted to highlight our contributions to the ecosystem and how we’ve helped foster growth in the coding community.
Hackathon
To mark our 10th anniversary in 2012, we hosted a unique inter-university hackathon aimed at inspiring the next generation of coders. This event, designed to foster entrepreneurship and a product development mindset, brought together teams from six top universities across Sri Lanka, including the University of Colombo and the University of Moratuwa. Throughout the hackathon, student programmers worked to develop software solutions, showcasing their skills and creativity rapidly. The Sri Lanka Institute of Information and Technology (SLIIT) emerged winners from the hackathon.
Mangala Karunaratne, CEO and Founder of Calcey Technologies emphasized that the hackathon was aligned with the company’s vision to drive Sri Lanka’s IT industry forward by focusing on innovation rather than just providing remote engineering services. Reflecting on Calcey’s journey, he shared how the company grew from humble beginnings—starting with just two developers—to becoming a multi-million-dollar enterprise serving renowned clients like PayPal, Stanford University, and The Westfield Group. Our approach has always been centered on encouraging creativity, and this hackathon was an extension of that philosophy. Through initiatives like the hackathon, Calcey is helping to shape the future of coding in Sri Lanka, providing opportunities for young developers to contribute to real-world solutions while honing their skills.
Coder Dojo
In 2014, Calcey had the privilege of hosting Sri Lanka’s first CoderDojo session, marking an exciting milestone in our efforts to inspire and educate the next generation of programmers. CoderDojo, a global initiative aimed at promoting free and open learning in computer programming, focuses on helping young people develop foundational coding skills. The session brought together 30 school children aged 12 to 14 for training in leadership, English language, and computer operation skills, with 10 of them joining the dedicated CoderDojo program.
The CoderDojo sessions were designed to teach programming in Small Basic, a beginner-friendly language that introduces essential coding concepts. Over the course of 12-weekend sessions, students learned how to write basic programs and gradually build their skills to prepare for more advanced languages like Visual Basic. During the first session, the children experienced the thrill of writing their very first program—a simple “Hello World”—and even learned how to draw shapes on the screen using code. It was particularly heartening to see that six of the participants were girls, reflecting the broader push to increase female representation in the tech industry.
Calcey’s team, including our CEO Mangala Karunaratne, and Chief Product Engineering Officer, Asela Indika, had a fantastic time preparing and conducting the session. Mangala in particular felt the experience was rewarding for everyone involved. Here’s what Mangala had to say about the CodeDojo session back in 2014
“I walked out of our first CoderDojo session full of satisfaction. I saw the sheer joy in the eyes of these kids when they saw the “Hello World” app they wrote actually work, with a red background and blue fonts. They were so eager to do more. I extend a big thank you to everyone at Calcey who helped us to organize this program, and CoderDojo for the concept.”
Rambuka Code Camp
In January 2016, Calcey launched a comprehensive six-month coding training program aimed at empowering school leavers with the skills needed to embark on a career in software development. The initiative brought together 12 enthusiastic participants, all eager to develop practical coding skills and gain a foothold in the rapidly evolving IT industry. The curriculum was designed to cover key programming languages, software development practices, and essential technical concepts. Participants were introduced to web development, database management, and object-oriented programming, while also learning to collaborate on real-world projects using Agile methodologies. The program ensured a hands-on learning experience, with students working closely with Calcey’s experienced developers and project managers.
At the end of the program, participants were evaluated on their performance through project assessments and technical reviews. The top-performing student was offered a job at Calcey, marking the start of their professional journey in software development. Several other participants chose to pursue higher education in Information Technology, building on the solid foundation they had gained during the program. This initiative not only created career opportunities for the students but also reinforced Calcey’s commitment to nurturing local talent and fostering the growth of Sri Lanka’s IT industry. Through this program, Calcey continued to play an active role in shaping the future of young developers, equipping them with both technical expertise and the confidence to succeed in the tech sector.
Padaviya Coding Initiative
In partnership with Karuna Trust, we provide IT education to 400 students in Padaviya, a town in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. In Padaviya, we educate students aged 10-13 with a dedicated IT curriculum through the DP Education program. Through the DP Education Curriculum, students learn a range of courses focused on basic IT literacy, coding theories, web development, and how to create a website among others.
The program we have implemented has proven to be incredibly impactful, mainly due to the specific community it serves. This region is home to individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, making it crucial for us to give back and provide them with the skills necessary to enter the workforce. Our co-founder and CEO, Mangala, expressed his thoughts on the Padavviya IT Center, highlighting its significance and positive impact on the community.
“Helping more kids get into tech is something we care about deeply because it’s a great way to lift people out of poverty. We did it with Springboard, and now we’re doing it in Padaviya which is deep in the North Central province. Right now, the program we support enables 400+ to learn crucial tech skills which will help them build a successful career path for themselves.”
Springboard
In 2023, Calcey established the Springboard program, a unique scholarship opportunity for students who have engaged in MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) from leading global universities. The program, curated by Calcey’s engineering leaders, offers a no-strings-attached scholarship to support learners. The curriculum is meticulously crafted and includes courses from prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Georgia Tech, IBM, University of Michigan, and TUDelft. These courses are delivered through Calcey’s exclusive partner, EdX.com.
Recently, we celebrated a significant achievement with the graduation of the inaugural cohort from the Calcey Springboard program. This initiative aims to empower individuals from non-technical backgrounds, playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between untapped potential and opportunities within Sri Lanka’s tech industry.
The program provides fully funded scholarships, granting learners access to premium MOOCs and offering hands-on mentorship from Calcey’s own engineers. This comprehensive approach creates a holistic learning experience, seamlessly blending academic rigor with practical skills.
This first cohort saw eight graduates join Calcey as interns, with others securing industry positions or continuing their education. Our CEO, Mangala Karunaratne, highlighted the program as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to give back to society by investing in the next generation of tech talent.
“Setting up Calcey nearly two decades ago was essentially a bet we took on the quality of Sri Lankan engineering talent, and it paid off well. If you think of that as a withdrawal we made from the society around us and the universe or the world at large, Springboard is our way of making a deposit and giving back. We built a platform for hardworking individuals to improve their destinies, and it’s great to see these 23 individuals benefiting from it.” – Mangala Karunaratne
Closing Thoughts
At our core, we’re really committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s tech community. We do more than just offer top-notch software and product engineering services. We believe in investing in the next generation of tech leaders through programs like the Padaviya Coding Initiative, CoderDojo, Springboard, and hackathons. By giving back to the community and creating opportunities for young talent, we can help build a brighter and more innovative future for our country. Looking ahead, we’re fully dedicated to expanding our efforts and making a meaningful impact in Sri Lanka’s coding community and beyond.