23rd July 2021
Celebrating 10 years of CoderDojo!
Ten years ago, on 23 July 2011, the first CoderDojo session was held in Cork, Ireland by teenager James Whelton and entrepreneur Bill Liao. From that first session, CoderDojo clubs sprung up across Ireland, and then spread globally to more than 100 countries over the last decade. During this time, dedicated volunteers have run thousands of CoderDojo sessions across the world, making the CoderDojo movement a global phenomenon.
Well done to all involved! Over the years, you’ve had a huge impact in your local area. We thank you for your contributions as part of the wider network and movement.
Connect and learn with others
The last year or so has been a challenging one for everyone; including those involved in Dojos. We are providing online workshops to refresh your skills, connect with others and be inspired.
Restarting with Scratch – Thursday, 23 September 2021 at 16:00 BST.
Join community member Carmelo Presicce, who started a Dojo in Italy, and now works as a Research Assistant at MIT’s Scratch Lab! We’ll also have Learning Coordinator Liz Smart sharing some new Scratch projects to freshen up your Scratch skills.
Introduction to physical computing – Wednesday, 29 September at 11:00 BST.
Develop your technical skills and confidence during this practical hardware session. Learn how to introduce hardware in your Dojo. We’ll demonstrate the Raspberry Pi Pico as well as useful hardware emulators. We also have a limited number of Raspberry Pi Pico’s available for those on a budget.
Learnings on returning to in-person – Saturday, 9 October at 14:00 BST.
Gain insights from two youth organisations that work with volunteers as they share how they have returned to in-person sessions. There will also be opportunities to exchange experiences with other CoderDojo volunteers in small groups and to ask questions.
As well as providing insights from experts in the field of youth tech education. For those new to CoderDojo, you can take part in our free online course with others around the world. It helps to grow your confidence in coding and provides step-by-step guidance on how you can start a CoderDojo club for young people in your local area.
Show your excitement
To celebrate all those who have been involved in CoderDojo over the past decade, we have developed some fun digital assets, such as social profile ribbons, Zoom backgrounds, and social media banners for people to highlight their appreciation and participation in the movement.
Share your experience
This is your chance to grab your camera or phone and let us know what you’ve gained by being involved in CoderDojo. All those who do will be in with a chance of winning a CoderDojo goody bag! Find out what others have learned through their CoderDojo experience too. Log in to the Flipgrid topic using the guest password: CoderDojo
Share your story and hear from others
Celebratory live streams
On the 23 July we hosted our launch live stream. In late October we will be hosting another live stream to recognise all the community has achieved and commend all those who’ve been involved in the birthday celebrations. Subscribe to our channel and turn on the notification bell so you’re updated in advance of the live stream.
Birthday projects
So let’s party and celebrate all that your Dojo and the wider CoderDojo community has achieved! Some additional project resources to help get you and those involved in your Dojo in the mood to celebrate are:
- Create a digital birthday card in Scratch
- Code a customisable birthday card in HTML/CSS
- Code your own party music with Sonic Pi
- Create random sparkles using a Sense HAT or the Trinket emulator
See what other CoderDojo community members are doing to celebrate CoderDojo’s 10th birthday and share your own celebrations on social media using #10YearsOfCoderDojo
