Tag Archives: coding for kids

Fostering creativity through open-ended projects with Code Editor for Education

Post Syndicated from Philippa Hanman original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/fostering-creativity-through-open-ended-projects-with-code-editor-for-education/

Tom Mason is Head of Mathematics and Head of ICT at St Joseph’s College, an all-boys secondary school in South East London. He is passionate about teaching and learning, and has a keen interest in digital education practices.

Mr Mason recently set his Year 10 students a creative coding challenge, which they completed using our Code Editor for Education. The challenge not only boosted student engagement, but also showcased the effectiveness of open-ended, student-led learning in computer science education.

Tom Mason

Challenges in the classroom

Teaching coding in a classroom setting presents a unique set of challenges, with one of the most significant being the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Instead of engaging deeply with concepts like loops, conditions, and sorting algorithms, students now increasingly rely on AI tools to generate entire blocks of code for them, without understanding their functions. 

Meanwhile, traditional teacher-led instruction methods that focus on isolated coding concepts like inputs and outputs often leave students disconnected from the practical and creative aspects of programming. 

Against this backdrop, Mr Mason wanted to give his students the opportunity to:

  • Apply their Python knowledge in meaningful ways
  • Collaborate and problem-solve independently
  • Explore unfamiliar programming concepts in a guided but open-ended fashion

The project

Mr Mason set a simple but powerful brief:

“Over three lessons, build a quiz that asks 10 questions about what you’ve learnt on the course.”

With this simple instruction, Mr Mason gave students a clear idea about what to do, while giving them the freedom to design their quiz however they liked. Students were also told that:

  • Their 10 quiz questions had to relate to Python
  • After creating their quiz, their classmates would give feedback based on key criteria (how well the code worked, the level of creativity, the user experience, etc.)

To complete the project, students used the Code Editor for Education. Created in collaboration with educators and built purposefully for the classroom, the Code Editor supports a range of teaching styles and learning abilities. Its simple interface encourages students to engage with the logic behind their code — they can’t rely on autocomplete.

Code Editor dashboard

Results

The open-ended structure led to an explosion of creativity and problem-solving.

Without step-by-step instructions, students had to independently explore solutions to questions like:

  • “How do I randomise questions?”
  • “How can I hide quiz answers in a separate file?”

Some students created multi-file Python projects, separating the logic controlling how the quiz worked from the content, or static information. For example, some students created one file to store the player’s answers and another file to manage the quiz interface and score logic. Students also created other advanced features:

  • Score tracking based on speed of response
  • Use of external Python libraries
  • Custom input and output formatting
  • Algorithms to randomly order quiz questions 

All students met the base requirements, but the open-ended nature of the project allowed more advanced students to push the boundaries, without the need for additional scaffolding.

Educator reflection

“They couldn’t just Google the answer; they had to think critically and test ideas. That’s what made it powerful.”

Mr Mason noted that the project’s success was due in large part to the flexibility and responsiveness of the Code Editor. Students could iterate quickly, test their ideas, and collaborate, all within a platform built for classroom coding.

“It was the most successful thing I’ve done. I’ll definitely be doing it again every year.”

Key takeaways

  • Project-based learning fosters deeper engagement and knowledge, and creative application of programming concepts.
  • Open-ended prompts empower students to explore and develop their own solutions.
  • Code Editor for Education encourages thoughtful questions and experimentation rather than reliance on autocomplete solutions. With built-in class management and project tools, it offers a safe, browser-based environment ideal for coding in the classroom.

Join St Joseph’s College and the 1300+ other schools helping their students build a strong foundation in text-based programming with the Code Editor for Education.

Create your free school account

The post Fostering creativity through open-ended projects with Code Editor for Education appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Begin your Code Club journey: Set up a club today

Post Syndicated from Lou Loxley original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/begin-your-code-club-journey-set-up-a-club-today/

Inspired to set up a Code Club but not sure where to start? In this blog we hear from the amazing network of Code Club leaders and mentors, and we give you practical tips on how to take the first steps to set up your own club. 

Two young coders at a Code Club.

About Code Club

Code Club is a thriving global community of clubs where young people can develop the confidence to create with digital technologies in a fun and supportive space. Code Clubs run in schools, libraries and other community settings. We have already supported 2 million school-aged young people worldwide to make things they care about with code.

We offer free training and ongoing support for anyone who would like to set up a Code Club — you don’t need to have a background in coding and technology to get involved.

Two teachers give their tips on setting up a Code Club

“If you’re thinking of starting a Code Club, do it. The Code Club team has everything created — all the resources are available.” – Peter Hutyan, Code Club mentor, The Mease Spencer Academy, UK. 

Peter, a primary school teacher, has been running a Code Club for seven years at The Mease Spencer Academy in Derby, UK.

A man smiling.

“When I started Code Club, I didn’t know how to do Scratch”, says Peter about the block-based coding tool that lots of young learners start with. “So I made myself learn how to use Scratch and I was two to three lessons ahead of the kids. Basically I’ve done what the kids will do — I’ve read the instructions and created the code. It’s such a phenomenal experience of enriching young people’s lives, and you see the smile and sense of accomplishment on their faces. It’s the best day ever.”

Rachael Coultart is the Computer Subject Leader at St Nicholas Primary School, Stevenage, UK and has run a Code Club for over ten years.

A woman laughing.

“I think the benefits of running a Code Club for our school are that it really develops children’s collaboration skills, really develops their perseverance, their thinking skills, their independence”, Rachael says. 

“The key ingredients that I think make a Code Club successful is enthusiasm, from the adults who are there, a kind of passion to learn together and make mistakes together. I kind of think that sets the scene for the children to make mistakes as well. And I think having that freedom outside the classroom is what makes a Code Club really successful.” – Rachael Coultart, Computing Subject Leader, St Nicholas Primary School, UK

Club mentors share why they were inspired to start a club

Saad Koubeissi runs four Code Clubs in libraries in London, UK.

A man smiling.

“Code Club, for me personally, is about providing children with things I didn’t have when I was younger”, says Saad. “I went to youth clubs and stuff but it was never, like, so specific in tech, it was more, like, playing football. So Code Club, I think, by starting off early, it’s introducing children not only to identifying those skills, but also the terminologies, providing that. And being able to be part of that change for those children is welcome for me, to be honest.” 

Bob Bisland is a mentor who started his first Code Club twelve years ago after a career in technology. He now runs three clubs in Malvern, UK.

A man smiling.

“Everyone should set up a Code Club. This is such a rewarding thing to be able to do. I am sharing my passion and my knowledge with another generation of children, and I’m seeing them learn what coding is all about.”

Ready to start? Three steps to set up a Code Club

We provide everything you need to make starting a club straightforward, including hundreds of free coding projects to help you tailor your sessions to the interests of your young tech creators. Our projects are available in up to 40 languages.

  1. Choose your venue. Code Clubs are held in lots of different places, such as schools, libraries and community centres.
  2. Register your club. Complete your application to start your club. We’ll ask for a few details, e.g. the address of your club. 
  3. Start running your club. You can access our free training on how to prepare to run a Code Club. Our Code Club leader guide also includes helpful information for running your club. 

Running a Code Club is a fun and rewarding way to engage young people and help them learn valuable skills for the future. Start your Code Club journey today by finding out more about setting up a club.

The post Begin your Code Club journey: Set up a club today appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

New to coding? Resources to help children learn to code

Post Syndicated from Lou Loxley original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/new-to-coding-resources-to-help-children-learn-to-code/

Here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation we believe ensuring every child knows how to code will equip them with the skills to thrive in the future. 

But what do we mean by coding and how can you get started?

Two young coders at a Code Club.

Coding is how humans give instructions to computers. Machines process and execute these instructions to perform the task you want — whether it’s making an LED light flash, designing your own avatar and making it dance, or creating a website.

Coding underpins the digital technologies that are ubiquitous in our daily lives: the apps on your phone, the software in your TV, and in life-saving devices in hospitals — even making sure your supermarket is fully stocked.

By learning to code, young people can develop the skills and knowledge that we need in an increasingly digital world.

So how can you get started?

Code Club

One of the best ways for school-aged young people to get started with coding is to find your local Code Club — a fun and supportive space where young people develop the skills and confidence to create with digital technologies. They might program their first-ever game or animation in Scratch, create their own step counter with a micro:bit, or use Python to control a robot!

There are around 2,000 Code Clubs across the UK and Ireland and nearly 6,000 more around the world, running in schools and communities – and they are totally free! As well as learning to code, young creators work together, gain confidence and a sense of belonging, and build their skills in problem solving and teamwork. You can read more about the benefits in this independent evaluation of Code Club.

Two young coders at a Code Club.

Creators use our free, step-by-step projects to learn different coding languages and skills. We have hundreds of free coding and computing projects for all experience levels and interests. For example, young people can start to code to make a character catch a bus, then move on to building a musical instrument, and even try out creating a project that uses artificial intelligence.

This handy guide for mentors will help you find which projects are right for you and your creators. Read on to find out more about our free coding resources.

Scratch 

Scratch is a good way for young people to begin their journey in coding. Scratch is a block-based language, which allows children to assemble code to produce games, animations, and stories.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has hundreds of Scratch projects that young creators can try out, but the best place to start is with our Introduction to Scratch path. This will provide young people with the basic skills they need, and then encourage them to build projects that are relevant to them, culminating in their creation of their own interactive ebook.

A mentor and a young person at a Code Club.

Web design

Websites are integral to many of our lives, and we believe that it is important for young people to learn how the websites and apps they visit are created with code.

That is why we have an Introduction to web development path that enables young creators to make their own simple webpages and apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and share them with their friends. The path helps them create webpages about subjects that they care about, and they also learn about accessible web design.

Python

Once children feel confident using Scratch, Python is a brilliant next step. It’s a real-world programming language used by professionals, but it’s also simple enough for beginners. Python helps young people move from blocks to text-based code, deepening their understanding of how programming works. It’s easy to read, which means learners can focus on thinking logically and building exciting projects. Our Python path for beginners is the perfect place to start, and we have loads more Python projects for them to explore as their skills grow.

Artificial intelligence

Our new artificial intelligence (AI) path allows young people to discover the foundational concepts of machine learning through creative and interactive projects using AI applications and technologies. Working with voice recognition, facial recognition, and other AI technologies, young people gain a broader understanding of how AI can be applied in different contexts.

A mentor helps a young person with a coding task at a Code Club.

Physical computing with Raspberry Pi

For young creators interested in interacting with the real world using code, our physical computing projects help them discover how to use electronic components. These projects show how to build things with buttons, switches, buzzers and LEDs using Scratch and a Raspberry Pi computer, or using Python and a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller.  

Physical computing with micro:bit

Another fun option for young people who want to explore physical computing is the micro:bit. This is a small programmable device with an LED display, buttons, and sensors, and it can be used to create games, animations, interactive projects, and lots more. A visual programming language called MakeCode can be used to control a micro:bit. Or the micro:bit can be programmed using Scratch or text-based languages such as Python, offering an easy transition for young creators as their coding skills progress. Have a look at our free collection of micro:bit resources to learn more.

Next steps

When young people are confident in these areas, they could try creating and exploring 3D worlds with the power of Unity. And what about creating using a Raspberry Pi computer? These beginner projects help you learn to set up and configure your Raspberry Pi and get started.

A mentor supports young coders at a Code Club.

Fancy running your code in space or submitting your project to our showcase?

Once you’re up and running, we have two fun ways kids can get even more out of coding.

The European Astro Pi Challenge allows kids to run their code in space. We have two levels: 

  • Mission Zero, suitable for beginners, where they code a personalised image for the astronauts on the International Space Station
  • Mission Space Lab, where kids’ code solves a scientific task on board the International Space Station

And young people can also submit their creations to Coolest Projects. This is a celebration of young digital creators and the amazing things they make with technology. We have a global online showcase, as well as in-person Coolest Projects events in several countries. 

And if you’ve been inspired to set up a new Code Club, or volunteer at a Code Club near you, find out the next steps here.

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A Code Club in every school and library

Post Syndicated from Philip Colligan, CBE original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/a-code-club-in-every-school-and-library/

Today we are starting a campaign to support every school and library in the UK to set up a free Code Club to make sure that all young people can develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the age of AI.

A young person celebrates at a Code Club.

Over the past decade, Code Club has provided more than 2 million young people with the opportunity to learn how to build their own apps, games, animations, websites, robots, and so much more. 

We know that getting hands-on, practical experience of building real projects with technology works. Independent evaluations have shown that attending a Code Club not only helps young people develop their programming skills, but also builds wider life skills such as confidence, resilience, problem-solving, and communication. All of which we know are essential if they are going to thrive in a world where AI is ubiquitous. 

Right now, there are over 2,000 Code Clubs meeting in schools and libraries all over the UK, organised by an amazing community of teachers, educators, and volunteers from all walks of life. We want to see that number grow. 

A young person and mentor at a Code Club.

You don’t need technical skills to mentor at a Code Club. The Raspberry Pi Foundation provides free, self-guided projects that help young people learn how to create with different technologies. We have over 200 Code Club Projects on our website, all of which are developed by expert educators, based on evidence of how young people learn, and rigorously tested; so we know that they are effective.

That includes a set of projects that support the safe exploration of AI technologies, helping young people understand how AI works, its possibilities and limitations.

A screenshot of the AI projects on our website.

We also provide training and support to help you set up and run your Code Club, all of which is available at no charge.  

I can promise you that the hour you spend in a Code Club will be the highlight of your week. I always come away from Code Club inspired and optimistic about what young people can achieve if we give them a sense of agency over technology.

Three young persons cheer at a Code Club.

If you have been inspired to set up your own Code Club, you can find all the information you need to run your own club here. 

You don’t have to take my word for it: here’s Janine, a Computer Science teacher and long-time Code Club mentor from Stoke-on-Trent sharing her experience.

Janine Kirk is a Computer Science Teacher at The King’s Church of England Academy in Stoke-on-Trent, UK, who has been running a Code Club for over ten years. She has been inspired by the campaign for a Code Club in every school and library in the UK, to set up clubs in six other schools in her multi-academy trust.

Philip Colligan and Janine Kirk at the recording of the Hello World podcast.
Philip and Janine Kirk at the recording of the Hello World podcast.

Setting up a Code Club is really easy as a teacher, as you can just tag it onto the end of your school day, or during lunch. The website is clear and easy to use — and once you have signed up, you have access to additional resources to promote your club. Code Club gives time and space to explore coding in a completely different way than in a classroom. For me, it’s about seeing what programs really inspire students: it gives an insight into how students like to code, ideas of preferred coding language, and tasks they keep coming back to. Running a Code Club has also allowed me to build relationships with students outside of the classroom environment, and all of this spills into my lessons and improves my teaching practice.

A young person connects a Raspberry Pi computer at a Code Club.

For students, Code Club is a great space where they can collaborate and work on their chosen tasks. Students often comment on how they look forward to Code Club and how they have continued their projects at home. It also allows students much more variety in enrichment activity, as Code Club is often popular with students who are neurodivergent. It’s amazing to see the children grow in confidence and friendship as they find likeminded students to support each other. 

My students really love the certificates they can earn. We have been inspired by the excellent activities that revamp the old ways of teaching programming and give them a really nice spin. In fact, I have used the resources in computer science lessons too, as they are often much more visual and fun for the students to create. 

A young person and mentor at a Code Club.

Since joining Code Club I have felt part of a community. I receive regular updates, and attending events such as the Clubs Conference really helps inspire creative ways to teach coding. As a computing teacher in a secondary school, you are often part of a very small team — but Code Club has allowed me to feel part of something bigger, and I know that should I need support, they are always there with friendly advice. It really is the best thing that I have done in my career.

Are you inspired to set up your own Code Club? Then find more information on how to get started running a club today.

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From player to maker: Learn to code by creating your own game

Post Syndicated from Pete Bell original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/from-player-to-maker-learn-to-code-by-creating-your-own-game/

At Code Club, we believe learning to code should be as fun as it is empowering — what better way to start than making your own game?

A mentor and a young tech creator at a computer at a Code Club session.

Whether it’s about pixelated pirates, racing robots, or a time-travelling llama, creating a game is one of the most exciting ways to explore coding. We’ve seen young people go from “I like Minecraft” to “I’ve built a space adventure with hedgehogs” in no time at all.

Why games?

Games are more than just fun. They’re also a brilliant gateway into problem solving, creativity, and computational thinking. When you create your own game, you learn how to:

  • Use logic and sequences to control what happens
  • Trigger events and interactions through code
  • Build characters, stories, and rules — and see them come to life

And perhaps most importantly, you get instant feedback. If your code doesn’t quite work, you’ll know right away, and you’ll have the chance to fix it, test it, and improve it.

Three fun game projects to try today

We’ve created a free library of step-by-step game projects that work in a browser, that require no previous experience, and that let imagination lead the way.

Here are three brilliant beginner-friendly projects to try at Code Club or at home:

Catch the dots

  • Learn: Basic events and movement in Scratch
  • Make: A quick-fire reaction game where you catch a moving dot
  • Try: Changing the sprites or making the dot move faster over time

Target practice

  • Learn: Broadcasting, scorekeeping, and setting difficulty
  • Make: A game that tests your speed and accuracy
  • Try: Adding levels, custom backgrounds, or sound effects

Don’t collide!

  • Learn: Cloning, timers, and collision detection
  • Make: A fast-paced game where the player must dodge incoming objects
  • Try: Changing the game to set it in space, underwater, or inside a volcano

What does the community think?

Games are a great starting point because they’re naturally motivating: young people see what they’ve made work, and that’s incredibly empowering.

“I started with ‘Catch the dot’. I changed the sprite to a spaceship and then added power-ups and space cats. Now I’m making my own levels!”
– Lila, 11, Creator

“When my son made his first Scratch game, it was the first time he explained what a loop was to me. Games build confidence.”
– Laura, parent and Code Club Mentor

Build, remix, and level up

Once you’ve finished a project, the real fun begins. With just a few changes, creators can build their own levels or make the game more challenging, design custom characters and backdrops, or invent brand new rules and mechanics.

And if they want to share ideas and collaborate with others, joining a Code Club is the perfect next step.

Three young tech creators at laptops at a Code Club session.

Ready to get started?

You can find all the projects mentioned here — and many more — on the Code Club projects site. They’re free to use and designed to help creators grow in confidence as they learn to code.

All our projects focused on game creation can be found here.

Every coding journey begins with a single click. Let’s press start!

The post From player to maker: Learn to code by creating your own game appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

How to give your students structure as they learn programming skills

Post Syndicated from Jan Ander original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/how-to-give-your-students-structure-as-they-learn-programming-skills/

Creating a computer program involves many different skills — knowing how to code is just one part. When we teach programming to young people, we want to guide them to learn these skills in a structured way. The ‘levels of abstraction’ framework is a great tool for doing that. This blog describes how using the framework will benefit you and your learners in the computing classroom.

Two learners at a laptop in a computing classroom.

We’re also excited to share our new Pedagogy Quick Read, which you can download for free to:

  • Find practical tips for using the ‘levels of abstraction’ framework with your learners
  • Read a summary of the research behind the framework

Learning to program: Everything at once?

Creating a program from the ground up can be daunting, especially for new learners. Without support, they’ll likely get stuck sooner or later; programs rarely work the first time round. And the more complex the problem that a program is addressing, the more likely it is that the first version of the program won’t work.

In a computing classroom, two girls concentrate on their programming task.

One reason that learning to program can be challenging is that it involves understanding a lot of specific concepts and applying many varied skills. From early on in their learning journey, young people need to have a firm grasp of concepts such as repetition, selection, variables, and functions. Also fundamental to learning to program well is the skill of abstraction: understanding a task and identifying which details are relevant and which can be ignored.

To get to grips with all these different concepts and skills, young people need structure — otherwise they’ll try to hold everything in their head at once, and likely feel overwhelmed by the cognitive load. This sort of experience may cause them to disengage instead of persisting. They may even decide that programming is not for them.

In light of these challenges, the ‘levels of abstraction’ framework is a great tool for teaching.

The benefits of the ‘levels of abstraction’ framework

The framework breaks programming down into four levels, each focusing on a different aspect of creating a program:

  • Problem: Analysing the problem or task the program should address, to understand and record the requirements.
  • Design: Turning the analysis into an algorithm — a set of steps for the computer to follow to create the desired output. This can involve flowcharts or storyboards, but importantly no code.
  • Code: Developing the code based on the design (and building the physical components if any are involved).
  • Running the code: Testing the code, checking outputs, and debugging where necessary.

Throughout the processes of developing a program, learners (and professional programmers) move between these levels as they implement their designs and debug them, sometimes even returning to the problem level if more analysis or clarification is needed.

Young child in the classroom using Scratch to program.

Potential benefits of the ‘levels of abstraction’ framework for teachers:

  • It helps you break down the activity of programming into discrete parts.
  • It helps you engage your learners, as you can show them that programming involves more than knowing how to code.
  • If your learners get stuck with their programming, the framework can help you guide them to a solution.

Potential benefits for learners:

  • The framework will help them think through all the steps needed to create a program that works, and practise their problem-solving skills and analytical thinking.
  • They will more readily see how programming connects to their world — at the problem level — and find aspects of programming where they have strengths and can use their creativity.
  • They will gain a stronger idea of how software is built in the tech sector.

Our new Quick Read shares tips on how to best use the framework in your teaching.

Download the Quick Read

Things to aim for when using the framework with your learners:

  • Be aware of what level they are working at and when it’s time to switch to a different one.
  • Understand that, when they encounter an issue with their program, they can step back and use the framework to figure out where the issue comes from. The issue might be a bug in the code, the algorithm not working as intended, or a description of the problem not taking into account something important.

We hope you find the framework useful. If you have ideas for how to use it in your teaching, why not share them in the comments?

Teaching programming: The wider context

When following the ‘levels of abstraction’ approach, learners need to explain how programs work and debug them. That means program comprehension is a key skill here. You may have already helped your learners to develop and practise this skill, for example with the PRIMM approach. The Block Model is another useful tool for helping your learners talk about various aspects of a program. And if you use the pair programming approach in programming activities, your learners can improve their program comprehension by talking about their code with each other. On our website, you’ll find more guidance on the best ways to teach programming and computing.

Photo of a young person coding on a desktop computer.

And what about generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for programmers? In the age of AI, we think young people still need to learn to code because it empowers them to navigate and think critically about all digital technologies, including AI. And while generative AI tools can help a skilled programmer create quality code more quickly, more research is needed to show whether such tools help school-age young people build their understanding as they learn to code. You can see some of the great work being done in this area if you catch up with our 2024 research seminar series.

The ‘levels of abstraction’ framework is useful in your teaching no matter what tools young people use to create programs. Even with an AI tool, they will still need to work at all four levels of abstraction to program effectively. 

The post How to give your students structure as they learn programming skills appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Why kids still need to learn to code in the age of AI 

Post Syndicated from Philip Colligan original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/why-kids-still-need-to-learn-to-code-in-the-age-of-ai/

Today we’re publishing a position paper setting out five arguments for why we think that kids still need to learn to code in the age of artificial intelligence.

A whimsical cartoon of someone struggling with vibe coding at a desktop computer and a second person with a superhero cape and a t-shirt saying 'programmer' coming to their rescue.
Generated using ChatGPT.

Just like every wave of technological innovation that has come before, the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are raising profound questions about the future of human work. History teaches us that technology has the potential to both automate and augment human effort, destroying some jobs and creating new ones. The only thing we know for sure is that it is impossible to predict the precise nature and pace of the changes that are coming. 

One of the fastest-moving applications of generative AI technologies are the systems that can generate code. What started as the coding equivalent of autocomplete has quickly progressed to tools that can generate increasingly complex code from natural language prompts. 

This has given birth to the notion of “vibe-coding” and led some commentators to predict the end of the software development industry as we know it. It shouldn’t be a surprise then that there is a vigorous debate about whether kids still need to learn to code. 

In the position paper we put forward five arguments for why we think the answer is an unequivocal yes.

Download the paper

We need humans who are skilled programmers 

First, we argue that even in a world where AI can generate code, we need skilled human programmers who can think critically, solve problems, and make ethical decisions. The large language models that underpin these tools are probabilistic systems designed to provide statistically acceptable outputs and, as any skilled software engineer will tell you, simply writing more code faster isn’t necessarily a good thing. 

Learning to code is an essential part of learning to program

Learning to code is the most effective way we know for a young person to develop the mental models and fluency to become a skilled human programmer. The hard cognitive work of reading, modifying, writing, explaining, and testing code is precisely how young people develop a deep understanding of programming and computational thinking. 

Learning to code will open up even more opportunities in the age of AI 

While there’s no doubt that AI is going to reshape the labour market, the evidence from history suggests that it will increase the reach of programming and computational approaches across the economy and into new domains, creating demand for humans who are skilled programmers. We also argue that coding is no longer just for software engineers, it’s becoming a core skill that enables people to work effectively and think critically in a world shaped by intelligent machines. From healthcare to agriculture, we are already seeing demand for people who can combine programming with domain-specific skills and craft knowledge. 

Coding is a literacy that helps young people have agency in a digital world

Alongside the arguments for coding as a route to opening up economic opportunities, we argue that coding and programming gives young people a way to express themselves, to learn, and to make sense of the world. 

And perhaps most importantly, that learning to code is about power. Providing young people with a solid grounding in computational literacy, developed through coding, helps ensure that they have agency. Without it, they risk being manipulated by systems they don’t understand. As Rushkoff said: “Program, or be programmed”.  

The kids who learn to code will shape the future

Finally, we argue that the power to create with technology is already concentrated in too small and homogenous a group of people. We need to open up the opportunity to learn to code to all young people because it will help us mobilise the full potential of human talent, will lead to more inclusive and effective digital solutions to the big global challenges we face, and will help ensure that everyone can share in the societal and economic benefits of technological progress. 

The work we need to do 

We end the paper with a call to action for all of us working in education. We need to challenge the false narrative that AI is removing the need for kids to learn to code, and redouble our efforts to ensure that all young people are equipped to take advantage of the opportunities in a world where AI is ubiquitous.

You can read the full paper here:

“Why kids still need to learn to code in the age of AI”Download the paper

The cartoon image for this blog was created using ChatGPT-4o, which was prompted to produce a “whimsical cartoon that expresses some of the key ideas in the position paper”. It took several iterations.

The post Why kids still need to learn to code in the age of AI  appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Ready, set, Scratch: A beginner’s guide to creative coding

Post Syndicated from Mark Calleja original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/ready-set-scratch-a-beginners-guide-to-creative-coding/

What is Scratch?

Scratch is a free, beginner-friendly coding platform that allows young people to create animations, games, and interactive stories using simple visual blocks. Scratch removes some of the complexity of coding by replacing syntax-heavy programming languages with intuitive drag-and-drop blocks. This lets creativity take centre stage and makes it the perfect first step for young coders.

Two young people smiling whilst working on their laptop with an adult mentor by their side.

Why Scratch is the ideal starting point

Every coding journey begins with a single step. Scratch delivers this first step in a way that is playful, approachable, and empowering. Scratch immediately delivers tangible results that new coders can feel proud of by linking coding to storytelling, design, and play. It also cultivates curiosity, confidence, and resilience — qualities crucial to long-term success in both coding and problem solving.

Most importantly, Scratch emphasises exploration over perfection. It invites young learners to experiment freely, troubleshoot confidently, and express themselves creatively without fear of making mistakes. This exploratory mindset provides the foundation for future technical proficiency and innovation.

Get started with our free projects

Starting with structured projects helps young learners build solid coding skills while maintaining enthusiasm and enjoyment.

Catch the bus (animation)

In ‘Catch the bus’, coders create an animation featuring a character (called a sprite in Scratch) attempting to catch a departing bus. They learn how to sequence events, switch costumes to simulate movement, and synchronise actions to tell a simple story. This introduces fundamental storytelling and animation skills in Scratch.

What you’ll learn:

  • Timing and sequencing actions
  • Using costume changes to simulate movement
  • Creating narrative animations

Chomp the cheese (interactive)

In ‘Chomp the cheese’, learners use facial recognition tools in Scratch Lab to build an interactive game controlled by mouth movements. Using a webcam, players physically open their mouths to “chomp” virtual cheese snacks on screen. This playful and engaging activity introduces machine learning concepts in a tangible and enjoyable way.

What you’ll learn:

  • Using facial recognition in Scratch
  • Creating interactive games with webcam input
  • Basic concepts of machine learning and interactivity

Boat race (game)

In ‘Boat race’, young coders create a game where players navigate a boat around obstacles, steering using mouse controls. They learn to handle player input, detect collisions, and define conditions for winning. This foundational game-making experience sets the stage for more complex creations in the future.

What you’ll learn:

  • Controlling sprites with mouse clicks
  • Collision detection between sprites
  • Defining goals and win conditions

“The key to sparking a lifelong interest in coding is excitement. When young people are building something they genuinely care about, they’re not worried about getting everything perfect on the first try. They’re chasing their ideas and learning as they go. Scratch creates the ideal environment for this type of messy, brilliant exploration. It provides young coders with the freedom to experiment, persevere, and express themselves — all while enjoying the process,” or so says my amazing colleague Pete Bell, Learning Manager and creator of some of our most engaging content at the Raspberry Pi Foundation. I have to say, I agree with him!

Level up and build momentum

After completing their first projects, young coders can continue to build momentum through several exciting avenues:

  • Personalise projects: Encourage learners to remix existing projects by altering characters, backgrounds, and rules. Personalisation deepens learning and fosters ownership of the coding experience.
  • Explore Python: Scratch’s block-based coding naturally leads to curiosity about text-based languages like Python, which many learners find an exciting next step.
  • Join a Code Club: Coding alongside peers transforms individual learning into a social experience. Code Clubs offer a collaborative environment where learners solve problems together, share creations, and build lasting friendships.

Encouraging personalisation, curiosity, and community involvement keeps learners motivated and engaged on their coding journey.

Children in a Code Club in India.

Conclusion

Scratch is more than just an introductory tool — it’s a creative playground that nurtures curiosity, resilience, and technical skills in equal measure. By guiding young coders through their first steps with engaging projects and supportive encouragement, you lay the foundation for a lifetime of innovation, problem-solving, and creative expression. Ready, set, Scratch! Let’s get started!

The post Ready, set, Scratch: A beginner’s guide to creative coding appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Celebrating young tech creators at Coolest Projects Ireland 2025

Post Syndicated from Sophie Ashford original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/celebrating-young-tech-creators-at-coolest-projects-ireland-2025/

Earlier this month, young creators gathered at the Sport Ireland Campus National Indoor Training Centre in Dublin for Coolest Projects Ireland 2025, an inspiring showcase of creativity, coding, and problem solving. With more than 80 participants sharing over 60 incredible projects, this year’s event highlighted the passion and innovation of young creators from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The day offered the chance for young people to share their digital projects, engage with a like-minded community, chat with VIP judges, and take part in exciting coding activities like Astro Pi Mission Zero. The event was once again supported by Meta, who sponsored the new AI category, continuing their commitment to promoting the importance of digital skills to young people.

Photo of two young people showing the Coolest Projects judges their project at Coolest Projects Ireland 2025.

Celebrating creativity 

Coolest Projects is a space for all digital projects, across all levels and categories, from hardware inventions to AI to Scratch. The event celebrates not just the finished products, but also the learning journeys of young creators and skills such as problems solving and creativity.

Helen Gardner, Programme Manager at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, shared her enthusiasm about this year’s showcase:

“Returning to Dublin for Coolest Projects is always such a joy! It’s incredible to see the enthusiasm, creativity, and talent of young creators as they bring their ideas to life. This event is all about celebrating the community and inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers. It’s always so inspiring to witness their amazing projects and the energy they bring to the day!”

Participants at Coolest Projects Ireland included young people from schools, coding clubs such as Code Club and CoderDojo, and independent makers. Many were returning participants, excited to showcase their latest projects and connect with fellow creators. The sense of community and encouragement was felt throughout the event, with mentors, parents, and judges offering valuable support and feedback to support growth and celebrate achievements.

Spotlight on the judges favourites

This year, judges were particularly impressed with the originality and impact of the projects. We caught up with four of the creators to find out why being involved in Coolest Projects Ireland was important to them.

Photo of creators on stage at Coolest Projects Ireland alongside Meta judges.

Sister duo, Riddhiba and Aarushiba, created Innovaid, a project that uses technology to improve safety at events.

“We wanted to solve a problem that was affecting a large number of people. Having read news articles, and having talked to people who have had bad experiences at concerts and large events, we wanted to solve this problem that has been ongoing for many years. Although technology has advanced rapidly in the past years, there are still flaws in large event management leading to incidents and deaths. We wanted to incorporate safety, medical aid, crowd management, and inclusivity.”

“Coolest Projects Ireland was an amazing experience for both of us, we got the opportunity to meet with so many people that were so passionate about technology and coding. We met many people who also wanted to make a change in society, or wanted to solve problems.”

Coolest Projects also welcomed an AI category, supported by Meta, for the first time, which included Kirsty’s entry, A haon, dó, trí – Learn with me. Kirsty’s entry used machine learning to help learners master the Irish language in an engaging and interactive way. Kirsty shared a little about her journey with the project

Photo of young creator Kirsty, with her A haon, dó, trí – Learn with me project.

“I really enjoyed some of the machine learning with Scratch projects on the Raspberry Pi site. While doing the ‘Alien language’ project, it occurred to me that I could use a similar approach to build a game to help young kids learn Irish.”

“I had to build my own Irish language training data set so I recorded lots of speech samples from my school friends. However, I go to an all-girls school, which would have meant my training data would have been very limited! So I recorded some boys’ voices at my CoderDojo to make my data set more varied and balanced.”

In the Games category, Timi received acknowledgement for his project, Stakes & Laughters Maximus.

“I got the idea from a story my dad told me about when I was younger. I apparently got really upset when I lost a game of Snakes and Ladders. So, I wanted to make a Snakes and Ladders game that wasn’t just about luck. I wanted players to have to think strategically about how to use their luck.”

“There were many challenges! Everything from the character movement to the turn system and the items presented roadblocks. But I broke through them by carefully thinking about what I wanted to achieve and then using code to create the logic for it.”

Photo of Timi's project - Stakes & Laughters Maximus displayed on a monitor.

Get involved

The Coolest Projects online showcase is open for entries, providing young people worldwide the opportunity to share their digital creations.

We also have upcoming in-person events in the US, UK, and around the world thanks to our partner organisations. You can find out more and get involved with these through the Coolest Projects website.

Finally, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who made Coolest Projects Ireland 2025 such a fantastic experience! We can’t wait to see what young innovators create next year.

The post Celebrating young tech creators at Coolest Projects Ireland 2025 appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Code Club: Empowering the Next Generation of Digital Creators

Post Syndicated from Sophie Ashford original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/code-club-empowering-the-next-generation-of-digital-creators/

Code Club is more than just a place to learn coding — it’s a thriving global community where young minds discover, create, and grow with technology. With a refreshed look and ambitious goals for 2025, Code Club is set to connect an even larger network of mentors and reach millions more young people worldwide.

Code Club at RPF HQ, Cambridge
Code Club at RPF HQ, Cambridge

Since it was founded in the UK in 2012, Code Club has grown into a global movement, inspiring over two million young people to build apps, games, animations, websites, and more. Supported by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Code Club provides free training and resources to mentors, ensuring creators achieve meaningful and lasting skills. Our vision for the next decade? To empower ten million more young people to have confidence in their coding.

A proven impact

A recent independent evaluation by the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education (DECE) confirmed what we’ve always believed: Code Club makes a real difference. Young people who attend gain valuable coding skills, grow in confidence, develop a strong interest in technology, and find a sense of belonging in the digital world.

Mentor Rajan at his Code Club in India
Mentor Rajan at his Code Club in India

The power of mentorship

At the heart of Code Club are passionate volunteers who bring coding to life. Whether it’s the thrill of overcoming a challenge or the excitement of seeing an idea come to life on screen, mentors make a lasting impact while learning coding skills alongside their club’s creators.

Bob Bilsland, a dedicated volunteer since 2012, runs one of the world’s longest-running Code Clubs at Malvern CofE Primary School, Worcestershire, England. His motivation?

“What brings me back week after week is the sharing of what I enjoy doing. It’s so much fun to help others explore this space themselves, to see what they can personally create. I see that giving others the opportunity to explore and familiarise themselves with computing as something that could open up a world of possibilities for them in the future.” 

For Yang, a mentor at the EY office clubs, representation in tech is key:

“If there are some female role models, I think for a little girl growing up, that means so much. Because if they can see somebody thrive in this industry, they will see themselves there one day. And that’s the inspiration.” 

Mentor Yang at her Code Club in London
Mentor Yang at her Code Club in London

Across the world, volunteers like Nadia in Iraq and Solomon in The Gambia are using Code Club to bridge the digital divide, create opportunities, and empower communities.

“[Code Club] added to my skills. And at the same time, I was able to share my expertise with the young children and to learn from them as well.” – Nadia Al-Aboody, Iraq.

“We strongly believe in the transformative power of digital skills and their potential to create opportunities for young people. Witnessing the lack of access to computer knowledge among high school graduates in The Gambia and other sub-Saharan African countries inspired us to take action. By bridging the digital skills gap, we aim to empower young individuals to thrive in the 21st century.” – Solomon, Gambia 

A community that inspires

Code Club isn’t just loved by mentors; it’s so important to the young people who participate.

Eoghan, a young creator from Ireland, values the collaboration and support he receives:

“It’s really fun to meet and talk about ideas with other creators, and the mentors are very helpful in fixing any coding problems.” 

Mentor Jayantika at her Code Club in Pune, India
Mentor Jayantika at her Code Club in Pune, India

Jayantika, a 15-year-old from rural Pune, India, started as a creator and is now a peer mentor. For her, Code Club is about giving back:

“I believe coding opens doors and helps young children express their creativity. By mentoring, I hope to prepare them for a future that is increasingly driven by AI and technology.” 

Join the movement

Along with the incredible community, Code Club is supported by sponsors and funders who share our mission. We would like to extend a thank you to Cognizant, who have committed their support to the Code Club mission in the UK and Ireland for 2025.

Mentors gathering at Clubs Con 2024
Mentors gathering at Clubs Con 2024

Code Club is more than just learning to code; it’s about creating opportunities, encouraging confidence, and building a global network of digital creators. Whether you’re a mentor, educator, or young digital maker, there’s a place for you in our community. Start your Code Club journey today and join a global community of digital creators.

The post Code Club: Empowering the Next Generation of Digital Creators appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Entry is open for Coolest Projects 2025

Post Syndicated from Lizzie Jackson original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/entry-is-open-for-coolest-projects-2025/

Coolest Projects is our global technology showcase for young people aged up to 18. Coolest Projects gives young creators the incredible opportunity to share the cool stuff they’ve made using digital technology with a global audience. Everyone who takes part will also receive certificates and rewards to celebrate their achievements.

Young creator Jay showcases his Coolest Projects creation at an in-person event.

What you need to know about Coolest Projects

The Coolest Projects online showcase is open to young people worldwide. Young creators can enter their projects to share them with the world in our online project gallery and join our extra special livestream event to celebrate what they have made with the global Coolest Projects community.

By taking part in Coolest Projects, young people can join an international community of young makers, represent their country, receive feedback on their projects, and get certificates to recognise their achievements.

Coolest Projects is completely free to take part in, and we welcome all digital technology projects, from young people’s very first projects to advanced builds. The projects also don’t have to be completed before they can be submitted.

Photo of two young people sitting at laptops at a Coolest Projects event.

Projects can be submitted to one of seven categories: Scratch, games, web, mobile apps, hardware, advanced programming, and AI (new for 2025).

  • Young creators up to age 18 can take part individually or in teams of up to five friends
  • Any young person anywhere in the world can take part in the online showcase, and there are in-person events in some countries for local creators, too (find out more below)
  • Submissions for the online showcase are now open and close on 28 May 2025
  • All creators, mentors, volunteers, teachers, parents, and supporters are invited to the special celebration livestream on 25 June 2025

We know Coolest Projects has a big impact on young people all over the world, and we can’t wait to see your creations for 2025. You can find out more about the incredible creativity and collaboration from mentors and makers worldwide in our 2024 impact report.

How to submit your project

Photo of three young creators discussing their project at an in-person Coolest Projects event.

Taking part in Coolest Projects is simple:

  • Young people think of an idea for their project or choose something they’ve already made and are proud of
  • Young people work with friends to create their project or make it on their own 
  • Creators (with the help of mentors if needed) enter projects via the Coolest Projects website by 28 May
  • Creators’ projects are shared with the world in the online showcase gallery
  • Creators, mentors, and supporters explore the amazing projects in the online gallery and join the livestream on 25 June to celebrate young creators’ achievements with the Coolest Projects community worldwide

Mentors — entering more than one project? Sign up for a group code, and your young people can link their projects to your account.

  1. Sign up or log in. If you don’t have one already, you’ll need to set up a Raspberry Pi account. Click on the ‘sign up’ link in the top right-hand corner of the website to create one, and provide your details. You’ll be emailed a verification code as part of the sign-up process. If you already have an account, you can just log in.
  1. Create a group. Once signed in, you’ll be able to create a group. You’ll be asked questions about your group, including the group name and the country you’re based in, and be asked to agree to some privacy policies before continuing. You will then be able to view your group code and group submissions on your group dashboard. 
Digital photo of the Coolest Porjects 2025 group code dashboard
  1. Share your group code with your young people. Your group dashboard should look like this, with your group code displayed. The group code is what your young people will need to link their submissions to your account. They’ll be asked to input their group code at the start of the project submission form.

Submit your coolest projects. Every young person who uses your group code will have their project linked to your account. You can review and edit their projects in your group dashboard and submit them from there. There is no limit to the number of young people who can submit entries using your group code.

For a more detailed run-through of how to use group codes, please see our ‘how-to’ video.

I want to enter a project

Coolest Projects in-person events in 2025

As well as the global online showcase, Coolest Projects in-person events are held for young people locally in certain countries. We encourage creators to take part in both the online showcase and their local in-person event. In 2025, creators can attend the following in-person events, run by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and partner organisations around the world:

  • Coolest Projects Ireland, 1 March 2025 (run by the Foundation) — entry closes on Friday 14 February 
  • Coolest Projects Belgium, 26 April 2025 (run by CoderDojo Belgium)
  • Coolest Projects USA, 5 April 2025 (run by the Foundation) — entry closes on Friday 14 March 2025
  • Coolest Projects UK, 17 May 2025 (run by the Foundation) — entry closes on Friday 2 May 2025 
  • Coolest Projects India, 2025 date coming soon (run by the Foundation)
  • Coolest Projects Ghana, 2025 date coming soon (run by Ghana Code Club)
  • Coolest Projects Malaysia, 2025 date coming soon (run by Penang Science Cluster)
  • Coolest Projects South Africa, 2025 date coming soon (run by CoderLevelUp)
Photo of young creators getting ready to cheer, whilst attending an in-person Coolest Projects event.

More events are on the way, so sign up for the Coolest Projects newsletter to be sure you hear about any in-person events in your country. And if there isn’t an event near you, don’t worry, as the online showcase is open to any young person anywhere in the world.

Need help with your submission? 

Coolest Projects welcomes all digital tech projects, from beginner to advanced, and there are loads of great resources available to help you help the young people in your community to take part. If you’re searching for inspiration, take a look at the 2024 showcase gallery, where you can explore the incredible projects submitted by participants last year.

You’ll find everything you need to know about all seven Coolest Projects categories on our category pages, including our brand new AI category. Our projects site is also a great place for participants to begin — there are hundreds of free step-by-step project guides to help young people create their own projects, whether they’re experienced tech creators or just getting started.

Photo of a young creator showcasing they're project to two Raspberry Pi Foundation judges.

We will also be running a series of online webinars for mentors and young people to help participants develop their creations for each Coolest Projects category. Sign up for the sessions here. All sessions will be recorded, so you can watch them back if you can’t join live.

Be sure to check out the Coolest Projects guidance page for resources to help you support young people throughout their Coolest Projects journey, including a mentor guide and session plans. 

There’s lots more exciting news to come, from the announcement of our VIP judges to details about this year’s swag, so sign up for updates to be the first to know. 

Whether your coders have already made something that they want to share, or they’re inspired to make something new, Coolest Projects is the place for them. We can’t wait to see what they create!

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Ready to remix? Favourite projects to tinker with

Post Syndicated from Pete Bell original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/ready-to-remix-favourite-projects-to-tinker-with/

From crafting interactive stories to designing captivating games, the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s coding projects offer a hands-on approach to learning, igniting creativity and developing the skills young people need, like perseverance and problem-solving. In this blog, I explore two of my favourite projects that young coders will love.

An educator helps two young learners with a coding project in a classroom.

Our projects are free and open to all. They are easy-to-follow, step-by-step guides that young people use to make their own games, animations, and websites using coding languages such as Scratch, HTML/CSS, and Python. The projects introduce coding concepts one by one and allow young people to build their knowledge progressively. As such, educators and volunteers running clubs don’t need to be experienced coders, and many volunteers in our community enjoy learning alongside their club members.

The power of remixing

One of the brilliant things about our projects is how easy it is to adapt them. This is called remixing, and it gives the learner the opportunity to create and modify a brand-new project that is personal to them. 

“Remixing allows beginners to tinker with a pre-existing project and make increasingly complex modifications”

Do you have the reaction speeds of an astronaut?

My favourite project brings space into the classroom. Space is such an intriguing and mysterious thing, but aspects like the extremely high speeds that satellites and the International Space Station (ISS) travel at are difficult concepts for young people to understand. 

The Astronaut Reaction Time Game in Scratch introduces young people to the fact that things happen very quickly at the speed the ISS travels. It includes links to maths and science (speed, distance, time, velocity, units, calculations, operators) and, for older learners, prompts discussions on computational abstractions and problem-solving.

The Astronaut Reaction Time Game in Scratch.

The project tests reaction speeds, something that real astronauts have to do as part of their training. NASA has found that reaction speeds are slower on the ISS than on Earth, possibly as a result of the stress of zero gravity. It’s also a fun activity young people can share and play with their friends. Sharing is a key part of the club environment, and this project is ideal for generating a little bit of competition. 

As with all projects, a scaffolded approach is taken, with challenges set for learners so that they can complete part of the project independently. If someone is stuck, they can get a hint in the form of an explanation or sentence, which then turns into the code blocks they need to solve the problems, finally giving them the solution if they really need it.   

Remix: Exploring speed on planet Earth

Club volunteers can also introduce their learners to some of our physical computing projects, or they could design their own race track that measures the speed of a vehicle. They could even develop a program on a microcontroller like a Pico or micro:bit to measure the speed of young athletes on a running track. If learners are inspired to do more space-themed projects, we have that covered in our project collection. 

Unleashing the creativity of coding through colour

My other go-to project is Colourful Creations. Coding is an excellent vehicle for self-expression, and this project showcases the ways programming can be used to create digital art. It uses the turtle library, which is an excellent tool for creating designs and patterns. 

An example of a colourful poster.

The name “turtle” stems from the Logo programming language created in the 1960s. Logo is mainly known for drawing lines, shapes and patterns on the screen and using a “turtle” on the floor to draw them on paper. The turtle library is, therefore, a selection of functions that can be used for drawing. 

Part of the project’s appeal is that learners are given a blank canvas to which they can apply any theme. There are limited instructions, leaving lots of space for creativity. Whether it be climate change, a period in history, or some other topic, learners can work on their own poster or in pairs to create something bigger.

Remix: From project to presentation

The possibilities for remixing are almost endless, as learners can add more screens and turn their project into a mini presentation or unleash their artistic side and go wild with colours. The learning in this project leads perfectly to more complex turtle drawing projects like Robo-Trumps, providing a solid foundation in creative computing for you to build on later.

We want you to create your own versions of these projects. You could organise a themed day, which can give learners more freedom, or link with other projects such as Astro Pi. Try remixing the projects to start with, then building up to develop new and exciting projects based on the skills that have been learnt. Happy coding!

A version of this article also appears in Hello World issue 24.

The post Ready to remix? Favourite projects to tinker with appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Celebrating Coolest Projects 2024, plus dates for 2025

Post Syndicated from Vicky Fisher original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/coolest-projects-2024-impact-2025-dates/

Coolest Projects celebrates young digital creators and the amazing things they make with technology. Today, we’re sharing the impact that taking part in Coolest Projects showcases has on young people’s motivation and confidence, as well as announcing dates for Coolest Projects 2025.

Coolest Projects will be back in 2025.

Coolest Projects in 2024

This year, 7197 young people across 4678 projects took part in our global Coolest Projects online showcase, with participants from 43 countries. All of these projects were shared in our online showcase gallery, and we hosted a live-streamed event celebrating the judges’ favourites watched by over 1000 people.

At the 2024 in-person Coolest Projects events in Ireland and the UK, 171 young people shared projects. At these events, the young creators presented their projects to other attendees and our team of judges. They also took part in other activities, including a digital escape room.

We wanted to understand how Coolest Projects impacts young people, and so we collected the following data:

  • For the online showcase, mentors and tech creators filled in a survey when they completed their project registration, and we ran focus groups with mentors, who are adults that support the tech creators
  • At the UK and Ireland in-person events, creators completed a survey, other event attendees completed feedback cards, and we also interviewed creators. 

Online showcase: Impact on skills and confidence

In the survey, mentors and young people told us that taking part in the Coolest Projects online showcase had a positive impact:

  • 91% of young people and 87% of mentors agreed or strongly agreed that taking part in Coolest Projects online inspired them or their team to continue to participate in computing and technology
  • 89% of young people and 86% of mentors agreed or strongly agreed that taking part in Coolest Projects online increased their or their team’s confidence in coding and digital making

Mentors told us that the community built by the online showcase gallery played an important role in making young people want to participate,  and improving their confidence. One mentor said that “[being part of the online showcase] motivates them actually to do something innovative and… [the] global community motivates them to think out of the box.”

The favourites in the web category for Coolest Projects 2024.

They also reported that the online community inspired young people to solve real-world problems. One mentor said, “the wonderful thing is the kids create so many things which are solutions to world problems.” Others told us that young people feel a great deal of pride that their solutions are available for others to see online and that they get ideas from other projects on how to solve problems. One mentor from India told us about a young person who created a boat to clean rivers and then was inspired to learn to program micro:bit devices, having seen similar projects in the gallery.

Focus on ‘growth, not competition’

The phrase ‘growth, not competition’ came from the mentors in the focus group, and we love this description.

“[With] Coolest Projects… the only agenda is to grow. Grow with the coding, nurture your skills, creativity.” – Focus group attendee.

In the focus group, mentors told us they really valued the way the Coolest Projects online showcase allows all young people to participate, including those who were less experienced tech creators. One mentor told us that because everyone’s project is displayed in the gallery the “beauty is that everybody is encouraged individually… regarding the experience. … They can start with very small things. And they have [the] opportunity to upload it on the platform.”

One mentor who supports young people in remote locations in India spoke about the way Coolest Projects offers a level playing field where his students can be included and participate to the same extent as less remote places: “students never feel left behind.”

Three young people working together on a tech project.

The in-person events also reflected the diversity of young people’s experience of digital making. Of those creators who answered surveys, 35% said it was their first time making this kind of project, while 37% said they had made similar projects before. This mix of experience was also reflected in the interviews, with some young people creating something for the first time and having only started learning coding recently, while others had been developing their projects for a long time. Many creators told us they felt inspired by the opportunity to show their projects to others, regardless of their experience level.

In-person events: Building a community of digital creators

Attendees at both Coolest Projects UK and Ireland commented on the sense of community and the excitement that was generated by being around other young people. One young person spoke about how much they enjoyed being “surrounded by people who like coding too”. They really valued seeing other creators’ projects and speaking with their peers.

The exhibition hall at Coolest Projects Ireland 2023.

The young people we spoke to reflected on the positive impact of this sense of community and belonging. They told us that seeing others’ projects inspired them to develop their ideas and learn new skills. One young person described how the in-person event allowed them to “get inspired and socialise.” A second said, “that’s why I’m here — to get inspired.”

Another clear theme was how much young people valued the opportunity to show their projects to others. This gave them confidence in their own ability to build things. One creator at Coolest Projects UK spoke about the sense of achievement they felt after building something themselves and then being able to present it to others.

Two young people share a project on their laptop with a judge at Coolest Projects.

Young people at both events spoke about their plans for what they wanted to do next, talking about trying new technology such as building games, learning Python, and creating mobile apps. At both events, creators described how they wanted to continue to develop and build on their existing ideas with the possibility of showcasing them again.

What we want to learn next

We are continuing to look for ways to improve the Coolest Projects experience for young people and their mentors. As part of this, we are conducting user experience research to understand how we can improve the registration process for the online Coolest Projects showcase.

We were delighted to hear from mentors in this year’s focus group how much they valued the online showcase gallery, and we want to understand the impact of this resource better as part of Coolest Projects 2025. If you want to find out more about Coolest Projects, we highly recommend taking a look at the amazing projects made by young people around the world. 

Dates for Coolest Projects 2025

We’re so pleased that so many young people around the world loved taking part in Coolest Projects this year. And we’re very excited that Coolest Projects will be back and bigger than ever before in 2025! 

The Coolest Projects online showcase is open to any young person up to age 18, based anywhere in the world. Registration opens 14 January, and we’ll host a celebratory livestream on 25 June.

A Coolest Projects sign with two people doing handstands in front of it.

Coolest Projects in-person events will also be popping up around the world. In-person events are open to everyone up to age 18 in the host country. Family and friends are very welcome to come along too. 

Save the date for:

  • Coolest Projects Ireland, 1 March 2025
  • Coolest Projects USA, 5 April 2025
  • Coolest Projects Belgium, 26 April 2025
  • Coolest Projects UK, 17 May 2025
  • Coolest Projects Ghana, date TBC
  • Coolest Projects India, date TBC
  • Coolest Projects Malaysia, date TBC
  • Coolest Projects South Africa, date TBC

Keep an eye on the Coolest Projects website for more event dates and details coming soon.

It’s never too early to start making and saving digital projects to showcase next year. We can’t wait to see what the world’s young tech creators will make!

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Introducing the new Code Club

Post Syndicated from Philip Colligan original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/introducing-the-new-code-club/

Today we’re unveiling a fresh look and feel for Code Club, along with a new ambition to inspire 10 million more young people to get creative with technology over the next decade.

Three young tech creators at a laptop at a Code Club session.

Code Club is a network of free coding clubs where young people learn how to create with technology. Founded in the UK in 2012, it has grown to be a global movement that has already inspired more than 2 million young people to learn how to build their own apps, games, animations, websites, and so much more. 

We know that Code Club works. Independent evaluations have demonstrated that attending a Code Club helps young people develop their programming skills as well as wider life skills like confidence, resilience, and skills in problem-solving and communication. This impact is a result of the positive learning environment created by the teachers and volunteers that run Code Clubs, with young people enjoying the activities and developing skills independently and collaboratively — including young people who sometimes struggle in a formal classroom setting.

Just as important, we know that Code Clubs inspire young people from all backgrounds, including girls and young people from communities that are underrepresented in the technology sector. 

What’s changing and why 

While we are incredibly proud of the impact that Code Club has already achieved, we want to see many more young people benefiting, and that led us to set the ambitious goal to reach 10 million more young people over the next decade.

Two mentors and a young tech creator at a laptop at a Code Club session.

To help us figure out how to reach that ambition, we spent a lot of time this year listening to the community as well as engaging with parents, teachers, and young people who aren’t yet involved in Code Club. All of the changes we’ve made have been informed by those conversations and are designed to make it easier for educators and volunteers all over the world to set up and run Code Clubs.

The biggest change is that we are making Code Club a more flexible model that can be adapted to reflect your local context and culture to ensure that it is as meaningful as possible for the young people in your community. 

That means you can host a Code Club in a school or a community venue, like a library or makerspace; you can choose the age range and rhythm of meetings that make sense for your setting; and you can tailor the activities that you offer to the interests and skills of the young people you are serving. In order for the movement to be as inclusive as possible, you don’t even need to be called ‘Code Club’ to be an ‘Official Raspberry Pi Foundation Code Club’ and benefit from all the support we offer. 

Two mentors and a young tech creator at a computer at a Code Club session.

To support this change, we have developed a Code Club Charter that we ask all club leaders and mentors to sign up to. This sets out the principles that are shared by all Code Clubs, along with the commitments that the Raspberry Pi Foundation is making about our support to you.

We have launched a new website that makes it easier for you to find the information you need to set up and run your Code Club, along with an updated and simplified club leader guide. In a few weeks time, we are launching a new online course with guidance on how to run a successful club, and we will be adding to our programme of online community calls, webinars, and training to support a growing community of club leaders and mentors.

The Code Club website homepage.

One of the most important parts of our support for Code Clubs is the projects that help young people learn how to bring their ideas to life using a wide range of hardware and software. As they are created by experienced educators, based on research, rigorously tested, and translated into dozens of languages, you can have confidence that these projects lead to meaningful and lasting learning outcomes for the young people attending your club. Code Club projects enable young people to learn independently, meaning that mentors don’t need technical skills. 

What this means for CoderDojos 

Alongside Code Club, the Foundation supports CoderDojo, a network of coding clubs that started life in Cork, Ireland in 2011 and merged with the Raspberry Pi Foundation in 2017. 

In order to reduce duplication and make it easier for anyone to set up and run a coding club, we have decided to bring together the resources and support for all club leaders and mentors under one website, which is the new Code Club website.

There is no need for existing CoderDojos to change their name or anything about the way they operate. All registered CoderDojos will be able to manage their club in exactly the same way through the new website, and to access all of the support and resources that we offer to all coding clubs. New clubs will be able to register as CoderDojos.

Two young tech creators at a tablet at a Code Club session.

The ethos, experiences, and lessons from the CoderDojo community have been a vital part of the development of the new Code Club. We have worked hard to make sure that all existing CoderDojos feel that their values are reflected in the Charter, and that the guidance and resources we offer address their circumstances. 

CoderDojos will very much remain part of this community, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation will continue to celebrate and learn from the amazing work of CoderDojos all over the world. 

Code Club in the age of artificial intelligence 

With AI already transforming so many parts of our lives, it’s not surprising that some people are starting to ask whether young people even need to learn to code anymore. 

Three young tech creators at laptops at a Code Club session.

We’ve got a lot to say on this subject — so watch this space — but the short version is that learning how to create with technology has never been more important. The way that humans give instructions to computers is changing, and Code Club provides a way for young people to experiment with new technologies like AI in a safe environment. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be launching new Code Club projects that support young people to learn about AI technologies, including generative AI, and we’ll be providing support for club leaders and mentors on the topic too. 

Thank you and get involved

I want to end by saying a huge thank you to everyone who has been part of the Code Club journey so far, and particularly to everyone who has worked so hard on this project over the past year — far too many people to name here, but you know who you are. I also want to thank all of the parents, teachers, mentors, and partners who have provided the feedback and ideas that have shaped these changes.

A young tech creator at a tablet at a Code Club session.

Code Club and CoderDojo were both founded in the early 2010s by individuals who wanted to give more young people the opportunity to be digital creators, not just consumers. From that first Dojo in Cork, Ireland, and the first Code Clubs in London, UK, we’ve built a global movement that has empowered millions of young people to engage confidently with a world that is being transformed by digital technologies.

It’s never been a better time to get involved with Code Club, so please take a look and get in touch if you need any help or support to get started.

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Bridging the gap from Scratch to Python: Introducing ‘Paint with Python’

Post Syndicated from Marc Scott original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/learn-to-code-python/

We have developed an innovative activity to support young people as they transition from visual programming languages like Scratch to text-based programming languages like Python.

An illustration of a web browser window with colourful tags and labels around it.

This activity introduces a unique interface that empowers learners to easily interact with Python while they create a customised painting app.

“The kids liked the self-paced learning, it allowed them to work at their own rate. They liked using RGB tables to find their specific colours.” – Code Club mentor

Why learn to code Python?

We’ve long been championing Python as an ideal tool for young people who want to start text-based programming. Python has simple syntax and needs very few lines of code to get started, and there is a vibrant community of supportive programmers surrounding it.

However, we know that starting with Python can be challenging for young people who have never done any text-based coding. They can face obstacles such as software installation issues, getting used to a new syntax, and the need for appropriate typing skills.

How ‘Paint with Python’ helps learners get started

‘Paint with Python’ is an online educational activity that addresses many of these challenges and helps young people learn to code Python for the first time. It’s entirely web-based, requiring no software installation beyond a web browser. Instructions are displayed in a side panel, allowing learners to read and code without needing to switch tabs.

To help young people with creating their painting app, much of the initial code is pre-written behind the scenes, which enables learners to focus on experimenting with Python and observing the outcomes. They engage with the code by clicking on suggested options or, in some cases, by typing small snippets of Python. For example, they can select colours from a range of options or, as they grow more confident, type RGB values to create custom colours.

The activity is fully responsive for mobile and tablet devices and provides a final view of the full program on the last page, together with suggested routes to continue learning text-based programming.

An accessible introduction to text-based programming

We believe this activity offers an accessible way for young learners to begin their journey with text-based programming and learning to code Python. The code they write is straightforward and the activity is designed to minimise errors. When mistakes do occur, the interface provides clear, constructive feedback, guiding learners to make corrections.

Try out ‘Paint with Python’ at rpf.io/paint-with-python. We’d love to hear your feedback! Please send any thoughts you have to [email protected]. 

This activity was developed with support from the Cisco Foundation. Through our funding partnership with them, we’ve been able to provide thousands of young people with the inspiration and opportunity to progress their coding skills anywhere, and on any device.

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Get ready for Moonhack 2024: Projects on climate change

Post Syndicated from Isabel Ronaldson original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/moonhack-2024/

Moonhack is a free, international coding challenge for young people run online every year by Code Club Australia, powered by our partner the Telstra Foundation. The yearly challenge is open to young people worldwide, and in 2023, over 44,500 young people registered to take part.

A Moonhack 2024 logo.

Moonhack 2024 runs from 14 to 31 October. This year’s theme is taken from World Space Week 2024: climate change. As always, the projects cater for everyone from brand-new beginners to more experienced coders. And young people have a chance to win a prize for their submitted project!

We caught up with Kaye North, Community and Engagement Manager at Code Club Australia, to find out more.

What to expect from Moonhack in 2024

For this year’s projects, Kaye told us that she collaborated with farmers, scientists, and young people from across Australia to cover diverse topics related to climate change and space. The projects will help participants learn about topics from how people who work in agriculture use climate data to increase crop yields and practise sustainable farming, to the impact of rising global temperatures on sea life populations.

An illustration depicting various elements related to the environment and sustainability.

Kaye also hopes to help young people understand the role of satellite data related to climate change, such as the data NASA collects and shares via satellite. Satellite data on rising sea levels, called out in United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13, forms the basis of one of the Moonhack projects this year.

Moonhack participants will be able to code with Scratch, micro:bit, or Python. They can also take on a project brief where they may choose their favourite programming language and even include physical computing if they wish.

A computing classroom filled with learners.

All six projects will be available from 1 September when registration opens, and projects can be submitted until 30 November.

Inspiring young people to create a better future

Climate change is an issue that affects everyone, and for many young people it’s a source of concern. Kaye’s aim this year is to show small changes young people can make to contribute to a big, global impact.

“Moonhack’s question this year is ‘Can we create calls to action through our coding to influence others to make better choices, or even inform them of things that they didn’t know that they can share with others?’” – Kaye North, Code Club Australia

Moonhack support for volunteers, teachers and parents

This year’s Moonhack includes new resources to help educators and mentors who are supporting young people to take part:

Get your young coders involved: Key info

  • Registration for Moonhack 2024 opens on 1 September
  • The challenge runs from 14 to 31 October, and projects can be submitted until 30 November
  • Participation is free and open to any young coder worldwide, whether they are part of a Code Club or not
  • Everyone from beginners to advanced coders can participate
  • The six projects for Moonhack 2024 will be available in around 30 languages

To find out more, visit the Moonhack website and sign up to the Moonhack newsletter.

Code Club Australia is powered by the Telstra Foundation as part of a strategic partnership with us at the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

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Coolest Projects 2024: 7197 young tech creators showcase their projects online

Post Syndicated from Helen Gardner original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/coolest-projects-2024-young-tech-creators-showcase-their-projects-online/

Our Coolest Projects 2024 online showcase has come to a close, with 7197 young people from 43 countries sharing the incredible things they have made with code. A huge congratulations to everyone who took part!

Young people raising their hands in the air.

Coolest Projects is our annual global celebration of young digital creators and the cool things they make with technology. This year’s showcase featured 4678 amazing projects, from a doughnut clicker game created in Scratch to an app that tracks sunscreen usage and areas with high UV levels for users. 

This week, we celebrated each and every young creator and their incredible tech projects in a special livestream:

Every year, we invite some very special VIP judges to choose their favourite projects to highlight. Meet our 2024 judges and find out about the projects they picked.

Azra Ismail’s favourite projects

Azra is the co-founder of MakerGhat, an education nonprofit based in India that aims to nurture underserved youth to become the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders. MakerGhat has reached around a million youth to date through hands-on making programmes. She is also an Assistant Professor at Emory University, where she directs the CARE Lab (Collective Action & Research for Equity). Azra was named in the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list, and has previously worked with Google, the Wadhwani Institute for AI, and United Nations Global Pulse. She has a PhD in Human-Centered Computing and Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech. 

See Azra’s favourite projects:

Judges’ favourite projects in the Scratch category.

Greg Foot’s favourite projects

Greg is an award-winning Science Presenter and Producer who has written and hosted a bunch of stuff on TV, YouTube, radio, and stage over the past 20 years. Greg has a BBC Radio 4 show called Sliced Bread that investigates whether wonder products like face creams and air fryers are indeed ‘the best thing since sliced bread’, or marketing hype. Greg regularly pops up on TV — he’s a regular on the BBC’s Morning Live and was the in-house science guy on Blue Peter and Sunday Brunch for many years. He’s also hosted multiple TV series, made live shows for families on YouTube (Let’s Go Live), and toured science theatre shows around the UK.

Take a look at Greg’s favourite projects:

Judges’ favourite projects in the Web category.

Natalie Lao’s favourite projects

Natalie is the Executive Director of the App Inventor Foundation, a global nonprofit that has empowered over 20 million inventors of all ages to create over 100 million apps to improve their lives and uplift their communities. She received her PhD in ML and AI education from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, and currently serves as Expert on Mission at UNESCO to develop the UN’s AI Competency Framework for K-12 Students. 

See which projects Natalie chose as her favourites:

Judges’ favourite projects in the Games category.

Selin Ornek’s favourite projects

Selin is a 17-year-old multi-award winner and changemaker who has been passionate about using tech for good since an early age. She taught herself to code at age 8 and started building robots at 10, and participated in Coolest Projects for many years. She has built seven robots to date, including the social good robot iC4U, a robot guide dog for visually impaired people, and BB4All, an anti-bullying school aid robot. She has also built a stray dog wellbeing app, JAVA, and an AI model for breast cancer diagnosis. Her aim is to inspire young people, especially girls, to see the fun and importance of using tech for good.

Selin’s favourite projects are:

Judges’ favourite projects in the Mobile category.

Broadcom Coding with Commitment® award

We partnered with Broadcom Foundation to give a special award to young creators using coding and computing to solve real-world problems that matter to their communities. Broadcom Coding with Commitment® is a special recognition for a Coolest Projects creator aged 11–14 who has used computing as an essential problem-solving tool to help those around them.

Naitik, Shravasti and Nikita present their 'Drainage alert system' project.

This year’s Broadcom Coding with Commitment® recipients are Naitik, Shravasti, and Nikita from India in recognition of their project Drainage alert system. Their thoughtful project uses a water flow sensor connected to a Raspberry Pi computer to detect when waste enters the drainage system and causes blockages and send an alert to the local council.

Get inspired and keep creating!

Now you’ve seen the judges’ favourite projects, it’s time to pick your own! Take a look at the Coolest Projects 2024 online showcase gallery to see all the amazing projects from young people all over the world, and get inspired to make your own.

Judges’ favourite projects in the Hardware category.

Participants will shortly receive their own unique certificates and the personalised feedback on their projects from our team of judges, to celebrate their achievements.

Judges’ favourite projects in the Advanced category.

Support from our Coolest Projects sponsors means we can make the online showcase and celebration livestream an inspiring experience for the young people taking part. We want to say a big thank you to all of them: Amazon Future Engineer, Broadcom Foundation, GoTo, Kingston Technology, Meta, and Qube Research & Technologies.

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Get young people making interactive websites with JavaScript and our ‘More web’ path

Post Syndicated from Pete Bell original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/more-web-learn-javascript/

Modern web design has turned websites from static and boring walls of information into ways of providing fun and engaging experiences to the user. Our new ‘More web’ project path shows young creators how to add interaction and animation to a webpage through JavaScript code.

A colorful illustration of a snail, a penguin, and a person with short dark hair against a blue background. There is a large question mark in the middle.

Why learn JavaScript?

As of 2024, JavaScript is the most popular programming language in the world. And it’s easy to see why when you look at its versatility and how it can be used to create dynamic and interactive content on websites. JavaScript lets you handle events and manipulate HTML and CSS so that you can build everything from simple animations, to forms that can be checked for missing or nonsensical answers. If you’ve ever seen a webpage continuously load more content when you reach the end, that’s JavaScript.

Two girls code together at a computer.

The six new projects in the ‘More web’ path move learners beyond the basics of HTML and CSS encountered in our ‘Introduction to web’ path. Youn people will explore what JavaScript makes possible in web developmnent, with plenty of support along the way. 

By the end of the ‘More web’ path, learners will have covered the following key programming concepts: 

HTML and CSS JavaScript 
Navbars, grid layouts, hero images and image sliders

Form design and handling user input

Accessibility and responsive design

Sizing elements relative to the viewport or container

Creating parallax scrolling effects using background-attachment

Fixing the position of elements and using z-index to layer elements

 Local and global variables, and constants

Selection (if, else if, and else)

Repetition (for loops)

Using Console log

Concatenation using template literals

Event listeners

Use of the intersection observer API to animate elements and lazy-load images

Use of the localStorage object to retain user preferences

Writing and calling functions to take advantage of the Document Object Model (DOM)

Use setTimeout() to create time delays

Work with Date() functions

We’ve designed the path to be completed in six one-hour sessions, with one hour per project. However, learners can work at their own speed and the project instructions invite them to take additional time to upgrade their projects if they wish.

Built for our Code Editor and with support in mind

All six projects use our Code Editor, which has been tailored specifically to young people’s needs. This integrated development environment (IDE) helps make learning text-based programming simple, safe, and accessible. The projects include starter code, handy code snippets, and images to help young people build their websites. 

A screenshot of the code editor interface showing a garden with colorful flowers, an umbrella and a watering can.

The path also follows our Digital Making Framework, with its deliberate format of six projects that become less structured as learners progress. The Explore projects at the start of the path are where the initial learning takes place. Learners then develop their new skills by putting them into practice in the Design and Invent projects, which encourage them to use their imagination and make projects that matter to them. 

Meet the projects: Welcome to Antarctica (Explore project 1)

An animated image of a penguin and a seal on a snowy surface.

Learners use HTML and CSS to design a website that lets people discover a place they may never get a chance to visit — Antarctica. They discover how to create a navigation bar (or navbar), set accessible colours and fonts, and add a responsive grid layout to hold beautiful images and interesting facts about this fascinating continent. 

Comic character (Explore project 2)

An animated illustration of a man with short red hair on the left, a woman with short dark hair on the right, and a yellow lightning bolt in the center.

In the second Explore project, young people build an interactive website where the user can design a superhero character. Learners use JavaScript to let the user change the text on their website, show and hide elements, and create a hero image slider. They also learn how to let the user set the colour theme for the site and keep their preferences, even if they reload the page. 

Animated story (Explore project 3)

An animated image of a snail reading a book.

Young people create an interactive story with animated text and characters that are triggered when the user scrolls. They will learn how to design for accessibility and improve browser performance by only loading images when they’re needed.

Pick your favourite (Design project 1)

An animated checklist with numbered boxes. A cursor hovers over the middle box. Various icons surround the checklist, including a video game controller, a guitar, a basketball, and a book.

This is where learners can practise their skills and bring in their own interests to make a fan website, which lets a user make choices that change the webpage content. 

Quiz time (Design project 2)

A white question mark in the center of a purple background. Animated icons of various shapes surround the question mark, including a television, musical notes, an X, and two cards with numbers "12" and “9”.

The final Design project invites young people to build a personalised web app that lets users test what they know about a topic. Learners choose a topic for their quiz, create and animate their questions, and then show the user their final score. They could make a quiz about history, nature, world records, science, sports, fashion, TV, movies… or anything else they’re an expert in!

Share your world (Invent project)

An illustration of a computer screen displaying a web page. The web page has a blue background and a white arrow cursor hovers over a blue section. A globe icon is located below the cursor.

In this final project, young people bring everything they’ve learnt together and use their new coding powers and modern design skills to create an interactive website to share a part of their world with others. They could provide information about their culture, interests, hobbies or expertise, share fun facts, create quizzes, or write reviews. Learners consider what makes a website useful and informative, as well as fun and accessible. 

Next steps in web design

Encourage your young learners to take their next steps in web design, learn JavaScript, and try out this new path of coding projects to create interactive websites that excite and engage users. 

Two young learners using a laptop, one of them points at a laptop screen.

Young people can also enter one of their Design or Invent projects into the Web category of the yearly Coolest Projects showcase by taking a short video showing the project and the code used to make it. Their creation will become part of the Coolest Projects online gallery for people all over the world to see! 

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Young people’s Astro Pi code is sent to the International Space Station

Post Syndicated from Fergus Kirkpatrick original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/young-peoples-astro-pi-code-is-sent-to-the-international-space-station/

Young people taking part in the European Astro Pi Challenge are about to have their computer programs sent to the International Space Station (ISS). Astro Pi is run annually in collaboration by us and ESA Education, and offers two ways to get involved: Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab.

Logo of the European Astro Pi Challenge.

This year, over 25,000 young people from across Europe and eligible ESA Member States are getting their programs ‘uplinked’ to the Astro Pi computers aboard the ISS, where they will be running over the next few weeks. 

Mission Zero teams send their art into space

Mission Zero is an exciting activity for kids with little or no experience with coding. We invite young people to create a Python program that displays an 8×8 pixel image or animation. This program then gets sent to the ISS, and each pixel art piece is displayed for 30 seconds on the LED matrix display of the Astro Pi computers on the ISS.

Two Astro Pis on board the International Space Station.
Astro Pis on the ISS

We picked the theme ‘fauna and flora’ as the inspiration for young people’s pixel art, as it proved so popular last year, and we weren’t disappointed: this year, 24,378 young people submitted 16,039 Mission Zero creations!  

We’ve tested every program and are pleased to announce that 15,942 Mission Zero programs will be sent to run on the ISS from mid May. 

Once again, we have been amazed at the wonderful images and animations that young people have created. Seeing all the images that have been submitted is one of the most enjoyable and inspiring things to do as we work on the Astro Pi Challenge. Here is a little selection of some of our favourites submitted this year:

A selection of pixel art images and animation inspired by nature submitted by young people.
A selection of Mission Zero submissions

Varied approaches: How different teams calculate ISS speed

For Mission Space Lab, we invite more experienced young coders to take on a scientific challenge: to calculate the speed that the ISS orbits Earth. 

Teams are tasked with writing a program that uses the Astro Pis’ sensors and visible light camera to capture data for their calculations, and we have really enjoyed seeing the different approaches the teams have taken. 

The mark 2 Astro Pi units spin in microgravity on the International Space Station.

Some teams decided to calculate the distance between two points in photos of the Earth’s surface and combine this with how long it took for the ISS to pass over the points to find the speed. This particular method uses feature extraction and needs to account for ground sampling distance — how many square metres are represented in one pixel in an image of the ground taken from above — to get an accurate output.  

We’ve also seen teams use data from the gyroscope to calculate the speed using the angle readings and photos to get their outputs. Yet other teams have derived the speed using equations of motion and sampling from the accelerometer.

An example of features of the earth’s surface being matched across two different images.
Feature extraction example taken from images captured by the Astro Pis

All teams that took multiple samples from the Astro Pi sensors, or multiple images, had to decide how to output a final estimate for the speed of the ISS. Most teams opted to use the mean average. But a few teams chose to filter their samples to choose only the ‘best’ ones based on prior knowledge (Bayesian filtering), and some used a machine learning model and the Astro Pi’s machine learning dongle to select which images or data samples to use. Some teams even provided a certainty score along with their final estimate.

236 Mission Space Lab teams awarded flight status

However the team choses to approach the challenge, before their program can run on the ISS, we need to make sure of a few things. For a start, we check that they’ve followed the challenge rules and meet the ISS security requirements. Next, we check that the program can run without errors on the Astro Pis as the astronauts on board the ISS can’t stop what they’re doing to fix any problems. 

So, all programs submitted to us must pass a rigorous testing process before they can be sent into space. We run each program on several replica Astro Pis, then run all the programs sequentially, to ensure there’s no problems. If the program passes testing, it’s awarded ‘flight status’ and can be sent to run in space.

The Astro Pi computers inside the International Space Station.

This year, 236 teams have been awarded flight status. These teams represent 889 young people from 22 countries in Europe and ESA member states. The average age of these young people is 15, and 27% of them are girls. The UK has the most teams achieving flight status (61), followed by the Czech Republic (23) and Romania (22). You can see how this compares to last year and explore other breakdowns of participant data in the annual Astro Pi impact report.  

Our congratulations to all the Mission Space Lab teams who’ve been awarded flight status: it is a great achievement. All these teams will be invited to join a live online Q&A with an ESA astronaut in June. We can’t wait to see what questions you send us for the astronaut.

A pause to recharge the ISS batteries 

Normally, the Astro Pi programs run continuously from the end of April until the end of May. However, this year, there is an interesting event happening in the skies above us that means that programs will pause for a few days. The ISS will be moving its position on the ‘beta angle’ and pivoting its orientation to maximise the sunlight that it can capture with its solar panels. 

A picture of the International Space Station.
The International Space Station

The ISS normally takes 90 minutes to complete its orbit, 45 minutes of which is in sunlight, and 45 minutes in darkness. When it moves along the beta angle, it will be in continual sunlight, allowing it to capture lots of solar energy and recharge its batteries. While in its new orientation, the ISS is exposed to increased heat from the sun so the window shutters must be closed to help the astronauts stay cool. That means taking photos of the Earth’s surface won’t be possible for a few days.

What next?

Once all of the programs have run, we will send the Mission Space Lab teams the data collected during their experiments. All successful Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab teams and mentors will also receive personal certificates to recognise their mission completion.

Congratulations to all of this year’s Astro Pi Challenge participants, and especially to all successful teams.

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Celebrating the community: Arno & Timo

Post Syndicated from Sophie Ashford original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/celebrating-the-community-arno-timo/

We love hearing from members of the community and sharing the stories of amazing young people, volunteers, and educators who are using their passion for technology to create positive change in the world around them.

Arno helping young coders at the CoderDojo Netherlands tenth birthday celebrations
Arno helping young coders at the CoderDojo Netherlands tenth birthday celebrations

In our latest story, we’re heading to Alkmaar, the Netherlands, to meet Arno and Timo, CoderDojo enthusiasts who have transitioned from club members to supportive mentors. Their journey at CoderDojo and their drive to give back and support the next generation of coders in their community has been an inspiration to those around them.

Introducing Arno and Timo

Arno and Timo have been friends since childhood, and embarked on their CoderDojo journey at the age of 12, eager to explore the world of coding. Under the guidance of mentors like Sanneke, Librarian and Chair of CoderDojo Netherlands, they not only honed their technical skills, but also learned about the value of collaboration, curiosity, and perseverance. As they grew older, they in turn were inspired to support young coders, and wanting to remain part of the CoderDojo community, they decided to become mentors to the next generation of club attendees. 

Having been helping younger members of the club for years, the transition to official mentors and proud owners of the much-coveted mentor T-shirt was seamless. 

Timo with Mirthe and Linus, two young CoderDojo members
Timo with Mirthe and Linus, two young CoderDojo members

The power of mentorship

Sanneke reflects on the impact young mentors like Timo and Arno have on the young learners at CoderDojo:

“Having young mentors who are just slightly older than our youngest… I think it helps them to see what happens when you grow up and how they can help. They can be examples for how to help others.” – Sanneke, Librarian, CoderDojo mentor, and Chair of CoderDojo Netherlands

Timo echoes this sentiment, highlighting how mentoring provides a fantastic opportunity to help people and make a positive impact in the local community: 

“I think volunteering is important, because you’re doing something for the community, in a city or village, supporting them in their journey in learning coding.” – Timo

As they continue their journey, Timo and Arno remain committed to supporting and inspiring the next generation of coders. They also encourage anyone who is thinking of volunteering at a club to give it a go: 

“If you want to volunteer at the CoderDojo, just go for it. You don’t really need that much experience. […] The kids can learn it, so can you.” – Arno

The CoderDojo movement in the Netherlands is celebrating a decade of impact, and champions a culture of growth and learning. Arno and Timo’s story serves as an inspiration to us all, shining a light on the power of mentorship and the impact of volunteering in building stronger, more supportive communities. 

Inspire the next generation of young coders

Arno and Timo’s story showcases the importance of mentorship for both individuals and communities, and the real impact you can have by donating an hour of your time a week. If you’re interested in becoming a CoderDojo volunteer, head to coderdojo.com to find out how to get started.

Help us celebrate Arno and Timo and their inspiring journey by sharing their story on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Facebook.

The post Celebrating the community: Arno & Timo appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.