17th December 2025

Coding, creativity, and community: Our 2025 Code Club stories

Every week, in classrooms, libraries, and community spaces around the world, young people gather to make, tinker, and imagine with code. Behind every project is a volunteer, a teacher, or a parent helping to spark curiosity and confidence.

At Code Club, it’s these moments of connection and creativity that remind us what community really means. As we look back on 2025, we’re celebrating you — the people who make it all possible.

A group of children and an adult stand in a classroom, smiling and holding colorful signs that say 'Join the club', 'We made this', 'code club', and 'Be cool'.

Community highlights

USA: Powered by sourdough — a big start for 8-bit Code Club in Minnesota

It’s been an exciting start for the 8-bit Code Club in Gaylord, Minnesota, USA, which launched this autumn in the local library and runs on Saturday afternoons. One parent, a software engineer, brings two of his children and volunteers at the club. He says he’s especially grateful for the Code Club and the library space — with eight kids at home and no computing devices, this is their only access to technology.

The club leader has also been creative in raising funds for equipment, selling sourdough bread at the local farmers’ market. Thanks to her efforts, the club has already purchased several Raspberry Pi computers and monitors, with micro:bits next on the wishlist.

A display case at a farmers' market featuring various types of artisanal bread, including plain, honey walnut, rye with caraway, olive herb, and pumpkin spice.

India: Coding for change — Gujarat’s girls break barriers

A visit to the Welspun Code Clubs in Gujarat, India highlighted a remarkable group of girls who have overcome significant barriers to education. Many had previously been unable to attend school, but with strong community support — including families agreeing to send girls once they were permitted to wear traditional attire instead of uniforms — they are now confidently creating Scratch projects and engaging with technology.

“Meeting these girls was truly inspiring. Watching them code with such pride, knowing the challenges they’ve overcome, reminded me how Code Club can shift perceptions and shape brighter futures.” – Suraj Jena, Programme Coordinator

A group of six young individuals, dressed in colorful traditional attire, smiles together in a community space, showcasing camaraderie and enthusiasm for technology and coding.

Kenya: From wildlife to heritage — Lamu’s coders shine

Code Club mentor, Mariam Abubakar from Mahmoud Bin Fadhil Boys School, Lamu, Kenya shares that her proudest moment this year was guiding her brilliant coders as they created and showcased four fantastic Scratch projects as part of Coolest Projects online showcase:

Wildlife Quiz – an educational game celebrating Kenya’s wildlife
Mangroove1 – a creative call for mangrove restoration
Multiple Choice Game – a fun, brain-teasing challenge
Kenya Tour – an interactive journey across the country

These projects blended coding with storytelling, environmental awareness, and national pride. Watching the students present with confidence and joy was a powerful reminder of how digital creativity can uplift young voices and celebrate heritage.

Remember, Coolest Projects 2026 opens on Wednesday 14 January.

A group of young students collaborate around a table, engaged in coding activities on tablets in a classroom setting.

Ireland: Big discoveries in a small village — Kinnitty’s coders grow

For Kinnitty Code Club in rural Ireland choosing a single highlight was nearly impossible. But expanding their age range to 7+ was a standout moment.

“Witnessing the sheer shock and delight on these young creators’ faces when their first code runs is a feeling that never fades. That spark of discovery instantly reminds me why I have dedicated 13 years to running my club.” – Darren, Code Club mentor

A group of young students in a classroom setting holds up devices while engaging with a computer screen that displays a coding project.

Australia: Young minds, big missions — Code Club Kawana steps up

Kaye shares how at Kawana Scouts, Code Club Kawana, Australia creators loved being testers for Moonhack projects earlier this year. It was their first time in the role, and they were thrilled to put their coding skills to the test — not just building from instructions, but thinking critically about how each project worked, how it could be improved, and whether it all made sense. Celebrate the success of this challenge and read the Moonhack insights blog.

“They felt proud to contribute to a larger project, and even more excited to be on a ‘secret mission’ testing the projects before the competition began.” – Kaye North

Three children wearing green shirts, with headphones on, smiling and giving thumbs up while sitting at a table with laptops and stationery.

Celebrate together

Wherever you are in the world, we hope you feel proud of what you and your club have achieved this year. Together, you’ve helped make coding accessible to young people all over the world, and that’s something worth celebrating.

See you in 2026 and don’t forget to keep coding!