Behind the scenes of Code Club: Stories and highlights from the team

As another amazing Code Club academic year comes to a close for many clubs across the globe, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible achievements, growth, and fun we’ve shared over the past 12 months.

Our dedicated team has been hard at work supporting clubs across the globe, and we’re thrilled to share some of their highlights with you!

Already counting down to next year’s Coolest Projects UK!

Back in May, members of the Code Club team headed to Bradford for Coolest Projects 2024, a world-leading showcase for the next generation of digital creators and innovators. Jody, Community Coordinator, fresh from his experience, shares why he can’t wait to return in 2025:

I’d heard a lot about Coolest Projects UK: how enthusiastic the children were about their work, the inspiring projects full of innovation and creativity, and the energy in the room. And it didn’t disappoint — there was such a vibrant atmosphere, it was hard not to be swept up by it all! I really enjoyed meeting many of the young people and was inspired by how much effort they had all put in — I definitely want to go next year!

Building a Code Club network in remote Pune, India

Vasu, National Community Manager in India, shares a memorable Code Club visit:

In December 2023, I visited two Code Clubs run by the Bidkar Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to bringing the transformative power of coding education to underserved communities in Pune, India.

The lovely Bidkar family, consisting of Manoj Bidkar and his daughter and son, run these clubs. One is located in a school, while the other is in a very remote area, literally on top of a hill. On my way to visit the club, I almost felt lost, with no mobile service in some places — imagine how the children learn in such an isolated location! Despite these challenges, every child attending the club does so out of their own choice, making significant efforts to come from nearby villages. This level of dedication is truly brilliant. I felt honoured to visit these clubs.

Code Club USA connects with Atlanta educators

Kevin, Program Manager in the USA, values connecting with community members at in-person events. Find out what they’ve been up to:

Our first event of the year was hosting an educator pop-up in Atlanta, Georgia where we invited community members to reconnect with us and learn what’s new with Code Club!

We all know how difficult it was to navigate staying connected during the pandemic, so when the opportunity to gather in-person was brought to us by US educator Yolanda Payne, we were thrilled! We met at the beautiful Georgia Tech University campus and invited community members to join us to introduce our new Executive Director Sofia Mohammed, share experiences, and learn about our new strategy on how we’re aiming to bring more Code Clubs to youth across the country. We even had a special guest join us: the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s CEO, Philip Colligan!

We can’t wait to host more meetups with even more community members across the US!

Code Club expands in Africa, welcoming new partners from Kenya and South Africa

In South Africa and Kenya, our Code Club work has grown over the past six months. Rujeko, our Community Coordinator, shares a June milestone:

In June, we welcomed 5 new African partners to our global Code Club community! We’ve got 3 new partners from Kenya: Steamlabs Africa, Futures Infinite, and Lewa. And 2 are based in South Africa: Waloyo and Blue Roof (Keep a Child Alive).

The training sessions we facilitated for them were well attended and there was great interaction. It was a very meaningful experience for me (I love Africa!), and I can’t wait to support our partners and their communities on their Code Club journey!

A warm welcome awaits at Arthurstone Library, Dundee, Scotland

This year, we welcomed Rebecca, our Community Coordinator for Scotland, to the team. Find out how her first Code Club visits went:

One of the first Code Club visits I made was to the Code Club at Arthurstone Library in Dundee. I was so impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm of everyone involved. I met some young people who had been attending for over a year, and someone attending for the first time! My favourite moment was when an older member offered to help the newest member, making them feel instantly welcome and part of the team. When the club leader asked if they’d return next week, the response was a resounding “Of course!”

Tell us your highlights of the past academic year! Share it on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook using the hashtag #MyCodeClub. We’d love to share your highlights with the community!