What is CoderDojo?

CoderDojo is a global movement of free, open coding clubs (Dojos) for young people aged 7 to 17 (Ninjas), where they can explore technology with the support of their fellow Ninjas and volunteer mentors. CoderDojo’s mission is to give young people around the world the opportunity to learn to code in a social and safe environment.

I first started coding when I was eight, but I didn’t do much with that knowledge until I was sixteen, because nobody else I knew was interested in it. For young people, having a CoderDojo as a place to come together and share their passion for technology is great: it’s a way to sustain that passion and develop skills by working together on projects that interest them.

“A Dojo provides a unique, informal, and collaborative environment for our youth to learn to code for free and interact with tech professionals. It benefits the kids, the mentors, and the parents, and it ensures that there is a safe, fun place for young people to be exposed to coding and tech skills, whether they choose to specialise in it or not. It is a wonderful service to the community and our youth, so I would highly encourage anyone to set up one of their own.”
Garima Singh, Dojo champion, Round Rock, Texas, USA

The story of CoderDojo

The movement was founded by James Whelton and Bill Liao. James was an 18-year-old coder who was running a coding club in his school, and Bill was an entrepreneur and philanthropist who saw the positive impact James was having and wanted to grow his project. Working together, they founded CoderDojo and ran the first Dojo on 23 July 2011 in Co. Cork, Ireland. This Dojo is still running, and it’s actually the one Ina is attending today!

Now, ten years later, CoderDojo’s open-source model has helped the movement spread around the world: there are more than 2000 Dojos spread across 110 countries, and people start new Dojos every day!

In what way has learning in a group been beneficial to you in the past? What skills has it helped you develop?