Apple is about all sorts of creative, coding is just one creative skill

Apple’s announcement of free Learn to Code sessions across all its stores is a tangible act that should help expose more children to coding. But some are asking if the company is as committed to the other liberal arts.

The evidence shows that it is

Apple has been open about how it sees its retail stores as hubs of a new form of community, calling them ‘Town Squares’ for its customers. Even as recently as this week it announced a link with creative artists.

“At the heart of every Apple Store is the desire to educate and inspire the communities we serve,” said Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president, Retail.

“‘Today at Apple’ is one of the ways we’re evolving our experience to better serve local customers and entrepreneurs. We’re creating a modern-day town square, where everyone is welcome in a space where the best of Apple comes together to connect with one another, discover a new passion, or take their skill to the next level. We think it will be a fun and enlightening experience for everyone who joins.”

Apple’s move into omni/multichannel retail meets the needs of our times, but Apple is also putting its weight behind evangelizing a message of how its products can be used in a positive way.

That’s why it is pushing in-store coding sessions in the first place, but it is not the only way in which the company attempts to switch customers on with new creative skills.

Today at Apple

Apple runs special events across all its retail stores. At these events, customers can take free sessions to learn all kinds of creative skills, from photography to music creation and more, and yes, even coding.

The company also makes experts available to help customers with their creative projects. These Studio Hours sessions last around ninety minutes and take place in most larger retail stores.

This is what Apple says about these sessions:

“This 90-minute open session is dedicated time and space for your projects, whether you’re in a creative mood or just want to be more productive. Our Creatives can share pro tips for sketching with Apple Pencil on your iPad, creating and editing a music video using iMovie or preparing a school presentation in Keynote on your Mac that you’ll be proud to share.”

Apple publishes information about its Today at Apple sessions on its website. You will find sessions for business, art & design, coding, music, photos, video, kids and parents, teachers and more. You can find events near you here.

You’ll also be exposed to special events – musicians sometimes play in the stores, and the company also hosts Live Art events in which artists create artwork in real time using iPad Pros and Apple Pencils.

You can be inspired by seeing people using Apple’s products in creative ways

All of these events suggest Apple’s commitment, not just to creating products people want to use, but also to evangelizing how they can be used.

And while children and adults attending these events may find that they don’t have an aptitude for what is being shown to them, they are at least being given some chance to get exposed to these skills. Apple will sell just as many iPads to creative kids as it does to coding creatives in the end.

At the intersection of science and the liberal arts, Apple is at least doing something to help expose people to both creativity and code.

Children learning to code smart machines