Five myths about Coolest Projects 2021

My name is Vasu and I support the CoderDojo community in India. In this blog post, I am excited to uncover the most common myths that usually come up in conversation with people about Coolest Projects. 

Let me set some context. Coolest Projects is the world’s leading technology fair for young people. It’s our biggest event, and we are running it online this year so that young people can participate safely from wherever they are in the world. Through Coolest Projects, young people are empowered to show the world anything they’re making with tech — we want to see what they are excited about! Anyone up to age 18 can share their creation at Coolest Projects.

Register for Coolest Projects

 

Myth #1: Projects from my country aren’t included in Coolest Projects

Whatever country you are in is definitely a part of Coolest Projects 2021.

In previous years, Coolest Projects was held as an in-person event. But in 2021, we are hosting an online showcase and live-streamed ceremony, meaning more young learners from around the world can get involved. So your country can definitely take part in it!

Running it all online has opened up massive opportunities for children anywhere in the world to participate in this global challenge. 

As long as you have internet access to register and submit projects — you can take part!

Myth #2: Projects need to be complex. My students are just starting to code, so they can’t participate. 

The easy answer to this question is that young people can participate with whatever they’re making.

There are six project categories

Scratch, Web, Games, Mobile Apps, Hardware, and Advanced Programming.

Everyone is invited to take part in Coolest Projects — the showcase is for young people with any level of experience. The project they register can be whatever they like, from their very first Scratch animation, to their latest robotics project, website, or phone app. In fact, our largest category for entries is usually the Scratch category!

Tech creators aged up to 18 can share what they’re making with code from all over the world and see their projects displayed in the Coolest Projects online gallery. 

Myth #3: My students’ projects won’t be completed by May, so I don’t think they can apply!

We invite projects at any stages of the creation process, whether they’re a work in progress, prototype, or finished product! 

If your learners are developing an application or a robot which may not be finished, you can still submit the prototype with your video. Make sure

 they clearly explain the product and the code that they have worked on so far. 

Myth #4: My students don’t have an original idea so they can’t enter Coolest Projects.

Many creators struggle to settle on a project idea, make no mistake, it’s way too easy to overthink it.

Having been through this process on more than one occasion ourselves, we know that it’s easy to worry about picking the wrong idea. 

So, our advice for your students is to think about their interests, skills, and passions and to let an idea grow from there.  Students can also take a previous idea and build on it for the challenge. Remember, your students can always make a change to their project or transition from one idea to another.

Watch our live stream for idea inspiration

To help young people find inspiration, we hosted a special Digital Making at Home live stream all about the Coolest Projects online showcase! We’ll also be hosting another live stream to answer your questions on 23 March!

Myth #5: I am new to the community and I don’t think my students are ready to participate.

Don’t worry, we got your back!

There are multiple support sessions, one-to-one calls that we will be running throughout the entire run of Coolest Projects until April. We will cover the basics of Coolest Projects and also discuss a few ideas that can help you support young Ninjas in this challenge.

The option to speak with me directly is always open. Use the link below to schedule a call with me and know all about CoderDojo and Coolest Projects! 

Schedule a call with Vasu

What types of challenges have your students come across when building their own project? How did they overcome them? Email us at [email protected] and let us know!

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