31st July 2017
CoderDojo announced as a winning innovation project as part of Expo 2020!
The CoderDojo Foundation has won an Expo Live grant from organisers of the next World Expo, being held in Dubai in 2020. The CoderDojo Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in Dublin, supports the volunteer-led global movement of free programming clubs for young people aged 7-17 years.
Giustina Mizzoni, Executive Director of the CoderDojo Foundation, said:
“The first Dojo started in Cork, and within five years the movement has scaled rapidly. We now have 1,320 clubs in 75 countries. We believe CoderDojo is truly unique; its model, its open-source, and its community ethos are the reasons we have been able to scale. We have 40,000 kids learning how to programme and create all for free around the world. If you are someone looking for volunteering opportunity there is plenty of them, if you are parent, or a company, CoderDojo is teaching the next generation of future change-makers and creators. Being part of Expo 2020 Dubai is an absolutely incredible opportunity for us. We will have a chance to meet so many people from all around the world and to showcase CoderDojo. We know that it will contribute to scaling even further globally.”
World Expos, which trace their origins back to the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, have always celebrated the latest in innovation and technology. The Expo Live programme was launched in January 2017, following a pilot phase last year. It aims to stimulate innovation that has a social benefit, by supporting winning projects with funding, business guidance and promotion. Successful applicants will also have the chance to showcase their work to many millions of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai. Expo organisers received 575 responses to their initial call for proposals. This was whittled down to just 29 winners.
Expo Live Vice-President Yousuf Caires noted:
“CoderDojo is an inspiring example of a grassroots movement that aims to educate and empower young people, giving them the skills to thrive in the modern world. I hope that our grant and the platform that Expo 2020 Dubai will provide to engage with millions of people will help them to spread their message and model around the world so that many more young people can benefit from their ideas.”
How can you get involved?
Anyone in the world can start a ‘Dojo’ – to create a space in their community for young people aged 7 – 17 to come together and learn how to programme and create with technology in a fun, social and informal environment. The movement connects education, technology and industry. By attending free Dojos young people are able to learn programming skills that enable them to create websites, apps games and more. Through exploring technology in an informal, creative, and social environment, youth also learn soft skills such as problem solving, teamwork and collaboration. It gives people the opportunity to understand and harness technology rather than being passive consumers of it and contributes towards solving the global skills gap.