19th November 2019
“Train the trainer”: How STEMUp is training volunteers to deliver CoderDojo clubs in Sri Lanka
Each November, we recognise volunteers everywhere who bring their time, skills, and energy to CoderDojo clubs worldwide. The STEMUp volunteer group in Sri Lanka deserves a special mention, as their unique CoderDojo initiative is engaging hundreds of young people across the country.
A typical day at a Dojo in Library
A typical day at a Dojo in Library. #lka #STEMUp #CoderDojo CoderDojoWant to start a Dojo inside your Library? Show your interest today –> http://coderdojo.lk/libraries
Posted by CoderDojo Sri Lanka on Friday, April 5, 2019
CoderDojo in Sri Lanka
CoderDojo Sri Lanka is powered by the STEMUp Educational Foundation, a volunteer-based nonprofit that aims to inspire young people to become tech innovators and problem-solvers.
Lead champion, Prabhath, has spearheaded the CoderDojo initiative in Sri Lanka since 2017. As a result, the organisation now has over 20 Dojos in different venues across the country.
CoderDojo Sri Lanka lead champion, Prabhath
Training volunteers to run Dojos
STEMUp is growing CoderDojo in Sri Lanka in part through its “train the trainer” sessions. This training initiative is empowering a network of 300 volunteers to run Dojos in their local communities. STEMUp hosts the training sessions mainly in IT centres, and focuses on teaching the basics of physical computing, in particular, micro:bit and Arduino.
CoderDojo Sri Lanka has also extended its reach to libraries in Colombo, through its CoderDojo@Libraries initiative. These efforts are popular with both parents and library staff, who are happy to see more young people using libraries.
“I really thank the library and this group of young people who come to do this. […] I think it’s a really good initiative and I hope that there will be many more workshops such as this.” — Parent, Colombo Library Dojo
“It would be great if we could spread this movement to libraries in other parts of the country.” — Library staff member
Next CoderDojo session at Public Library, Colombo will be held on Saturday, March 30th. Here's what we heard from a parent about our last program. #lka #STEM #STEMUp #CoderDojo #CoderDojolk
Posted by CoderDojo Sri Lanka on Sunday, March 24, 2019
How you can empower others to get involved
The volunteers in Sri Lanka show us how effective training can be in growing the CoderDojo movement. And thanks to their efforts, more young people across the country are getting the opportunity to create with code.
Are you interested in training people to become CoderDojo volunteers? If so, our Facilitators’ Guide is a great tool to facilitate training sessions in your Dojo, community centre, library, school, or business. Request your copy and help bring CoderDojo to more young people in your local area today!