For Parents

25 April 2019 · by Nuala McHale

Dona, has been coding and working with computers for several decades, even though it was not her profession. Below she shares how she initially started a CoderDojo club in WestSound (Washington State, USA) and the opportunities it has given her and other young people in the locality. I founded my leadership and management consulting firm 24 years ago and me and my partners work with Fortune 100, nonprofits, governments, and non-governmental organisations. I enjoy traveling, music, reading, racquetball, free-climbing, and a variety of activities and interests which are too many to name. Learning and adventuring are lifetime passions, and… Read More

2 April 2019 · by Nuala McHale

Fiona found it difficult to find suitable extra-curricular activities for her son, who is autistic and needs 1-1 adult support. It’s a problem she knows is shared by other families. As a volunteer with Autism Northern Ireland and a founding committee member of the Tech Education Network CIC she was interested in developing outreach work focusing on inclusion and special educational needs. Below she shares how she discovered CoderDojo as a solution, and how others can learn to make their spaces more autistic-friendly. I wanted to start a club and began exploring CoderDojo, firstly… Read More

29 March 2019 · by Kevin Johnson

“They all show up and they all want to do good, for each other” We have loved celebrating the incredible women in our CoderDojo community this month, especially because we’ve had the opportunity to hear some of their empowering stories. On International Women’s Day, we spent the morning speaking with Nikole Vaughn, one of the CoderDojo champions at the San Antonio CoderDojo Collaborative, to learn more about what she is doing to foster the next generation of female coders. Nikole is a woman with many titles: mother,… Read More

1 March 2019 · by Nuala McHale

On February 17 we held our second twelve-hour Twitter chat so that all those around the world involved in CoderDojo could take part and share their experiences. During February our focus has been on the 12,000 volunteers involved in Dojos globally, and #ChatDojo was no exception. Thanks to all the Volunteers in Japan, Texas, North Carolina, Greece, the Netherlands, Russia, Ireland and the UK who took part! In particular thanks to Togazono (of Kodaira Dojo), Simon (of Harrogate Dojo) and Manos (of Votanikos Dojo) who supported as community moderators during the day. Below is… Read More

12 February 2019 · by Nuala McHale

Throughout the year the CoderDojo Foundation team reaches out to Dojos with updates and to see how they are getting on – through our newsletters, social channels, webinars and in-person events. Once a year, we do this more systematically to be sure each Dojo has been contacted and had the opportunity to ask questions or give feedback. Dojo leaders heard from the Foundation team about filling out the annual survey. If you didn’t get a chance to fill it out, we sent a message asking you to let us know if your Dojo still has… Read More

7 February 2019 · by CoderDojo

We’ve compiled our top 5 handbooks for learning more about how to get the best out of CoderDojo. If you are a Champion, mentor or parent, if you want to encourage more girls to be involved or if are interested in setting up your own regional mentors conference (DojoCon) or regional Coolest Projects event, these are the handbooks for you! Each handbook is a comprehensive step-by-step guide providing insights, advice and actions to take – essential for your CoderDojo toolkit!     The Champions Handbook The… Read More