Digital Moment: Building coding communities in Canada

Code Club partner Digital Moment is supporting young people to learn digital skills in clubs across Canada. Ellie, Global Partnerships Manager, caught up with Matthew Griffin and Léa Guez from Digital Moment to find out more.

Unique challenges

Digital Moment was founded in 2013 with a focus on creating programs and experiences for young people and their communities on digital skills, covering coding, algorithms, data literacy, and artificial intelligence. Not long after, Digital Moment joined forces with Code Club. On the benefits of the programme, Matthew says:

‘’Code Club is a way for us to build sustainable communities of practice, build depth in our offerings, and engage a diverse audience across the country.’’

Digital Moment faces some unique challenges in giving every child in Canada the opportunity to join a Code Club and learn new digital skills.

Firstly, Canada is huge! From snowy mountains and wild waterfalls, to beautiful blue lakes and built-up cities, Canada stretches almost 4700 miles across. It’s a challenge just to physically reach a large, dispersed population. Additionally, Canada is a country with two official languages. Some clubs use English, some use French, and some use both.

So, how are they overcoming these challenges? In terms of language, Digital Moment always produces materials in both English and French to cater for everyone. See which Code Club projects have been translated into different languages by clicking on the top right-hand box on the Code Club Project site.

Digital Moment also uses online communication to keep in touch with remote communities that are difficult to get to in person. It helps that the Code Club materials are designed to help clubs pick up the programme quickly and easily, without needing a lot of training to get started.

An inclusive approach

Matthew and Léa say the key to engaging with Canada’s diverse communities is to meet young people where they are at, and use that as the starting point to working together.

Code Clubs provide a great platform to be able to do this. With a wide range of projects, and young people encouraged to share their passions and make what matters to them, Code Club is able to provide an inclusive space for all young people to get involved.

As one Club Leader in Canada reports:

‘’[Code Club] is a safe space that opens many doors and everyone is welcome. The ideas that students come up with are amazing! […] Seeing their smile and sheer joy when they finally “get it” or make it work is magic!’’

The Digital2030 Challenge

In 2019, Digital Moment started a ten-year mission to tackle global problems. They began to provide annual challenges for young people across the globe to develop skills in coding, data, and artificial intelligence, to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. The Challenge is available online and there is step-by-step guidance for each activity.

Currently, there are two challenges: Reduction of Plastic Pollution and Good Health & Wellbeing.

The aim is to build a community of socially conscious young people with a shared desire to make the world a better place. Does that sound like the young people in your Code Club? Digital Moment invites you to get them involved! The Challenge is open to young people everywhere. Why not take a look at the current Challenges together at your next club meeting, and look out for the third Challenge launching in August 2023.

Try out The Challenge with your Code Club and keep up to date with the launch of the next activity by visiting digital-2030.org.